Best moveset for Electabuzz in Pokemon GO

With Pokemon GO's Festival of Lights event finally here, Electric-type Pokemon have been given the spotlight. Electabuzz, the Electric Pokemon, is one of these Pokemon trainers have a likely chance to encounter due to its appearance in 3-Star Raid Battles.

For trainers who challenged and conquered Electabuzz's Raid Battle, the opportunity to catch it was granted. After adding one to their collection, players may be wondering if Electabuzz has any use in any tier of the Battle League.

Knowing the moveset of a Pokemon as well as its stats and the role it serves on a team are crucial to using any Pokemon effectively in Pokemon GO.

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Electabuzz in Pokemon GO: An analysis

Electabuzz has been a part of the Pokemon franchise since the very beginning (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Electabuzz is a pure Electric-type Pokemon. It only takes super effective damage from Ground-type attacks while resisting Flying, Steel, and other Electric-type attacks. This means that Electabuzz has an excellent defensive typing, but its one weakness is too common knowledge to neglect. Many Ground-type Pokemon also have the stats to overpower Electabuzz incredibly easily, even without Ground-type attacks.

Electabuzz has fairly average stats in Pokemon GO. With an attack stat of 198, Electabuzz can make quick work of weaker Pokemon but could struggle with bulkier opponents like Chansey or Snorlax. With a defense stat of 158 and a stamina stat of 163, Electabuzz has pretty average bulk, so this will not be a Pokemon players will want to switch in; rather, Electabuzz is more of an attacking Pokemon that may need to be switched out.

For the most optimal moveset in Pokemon GO, Electabuzz has the same for offensive and defensive purposes. Electabuzz is recommended to run a moveset of Thunder Shock for a fast attack and Thunderbolt for a charged attack. Thunder Shock is boosted in power by Electabuzz's Electric typing and generates more energy per second than Low Kick, Electabuzz's other fast attack.

While many players already know this, Electabuzz is not truly worth using in Pokemon GO because it received an evolution when Pokemon from the Sinnoh region were brought over. With the use of a Sinnoh stone and 100 Elekid candy, Electabuzz can evolve into Electivire.

In terms of the effect this has on Electabuzz's build and the role it serves, it only replaces Thunderbolt with Wild Charge. Electivire serves the same role as Electabuzz but with the benefit of increased bulk. This is due to an increase in its stamina stat by almost 20. Offense is still where Electivire shines in Pokemon GO as it takes Electabuzz's lackluster attack of 198 and gives it the much-needed jump up to 249.

While Electabuzz was once one of the better options players could use in Pokemon GO, the natural power creep that comes with adding the rest of the Pokemon in the franchise quickly caught up with it. It was even completely outclassed and made irrelevant once its evolution Electivire was introduced. However, the best moveset for Electabuzz is Thunder Shock and Thunderbolt.