Pokemon GO Blacephalon: Best moveset, counters, and is it any good?

Blacephalon is entering Pokemon GO as part of the Ultra Space Wonders event, and trainers who intend to catch it are already attempting to determine how useful it'll be for them. What are Blacephalon's best movesets? What are the best counters to beat it? And is it any good for PvE and PvP battles? Based on its stats and moves, the Pocket Monster should be a quality PvE attacker if nothing else.

Since Blacephalon only sports a base Defense stat of 148 and a base Stamina of 142, it is something of a glass cannon in Pokemon GO. However, trainers who know the creature inside and out should be able to use it as an effective attacker or quickly counter and defeat it when necessary.

---

The best movesets for Blacephalon in Pokemon GO

All learnable moves for Blacephalon

Blacephalon has access to Fire and Ghost-type moves in Pokemon GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Blacephalon is a Fire/Ghost-type critter in Pokemon GO and can resultingly learn different Fire and Ghost-type moves. As of its release, the Pocket Monster has access to the following Fast and Charged Moves:

Fast Moves

• Astonish
• Incinerate

Charged Moves

• Shadow Ball
• Mystical Fire
• Overheat

---

Blacephalon's best PvE moveset

When it comes to the best PvE moveset for Blacephalon in Pokemon GO, the combination of Incinerate + Shadow Ball will deal the highest damage per second (20.48) and total damage overall before fainting (363.74).

However, when using Blacephalon in PvE, if an opponent resists Ghost-type moves like Shadow Ball, Incinerate + Mystical Fire can make Blacephalon a pure Fire-type attacker.

---

Blacephalon's best PvP moveset

While Blacephalon likely won't last long in Pokemon GO PvP and probably shouldn't be used because of its durability, if trainers have their heart set on it, the recommended moveset is Incinerate + Mystical Fire + Shadow Ball. This is due to the fact that the Charged Move Overheat, while powerful, decreases the user's Attack stat by 1/3 and takes a considerable time to charge up.

Moreover, due to Incinerate being a relatively slow Fast Move, trainers can switch to a moveset of Astonish + Mystical Fire + Shadow Ball. While Astonish deals less damage, it's approximately 1.2 seconds faster and may be more reliable for players who feel hamstrung by Blacephalon's low durability.

---

Best Blacephalon counters in Pokemon GO

A Rock/Dark-type like Tyranitar is a perfect counter to Blacephalon in Pokemon GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)

As a Fire/Ghost-type Pokemon, Blacephalon has five elemental weaknesses for players to exploit. It will take super effective damage from Dark, Ghost, Ground, Rock, and Water-type moves.

As a result, there are certain Pokemon and moves that should be perfect for countering Blacephalon in any arena. Some of the best options can be found below:

Best Pokemon counters

• Groudon
• Kyogre
• Tyranitar
• Swampert
• Gengar
• Dawn Wings Necrozma
• Rampardos
• Rhyperior
• Diancie
• Excadrill
• Blastoise
• Garchomp
• Chandelure
• Banette
• Crawdaunt
• Kingler
• Houndoom
• Hydreigon
• Aerodactyl

Best move counters (Fast)

• Waterfall
• Mud Shot
• Bite
• Water Gun
• Lick
• Shadow Claw
• Smack Down
• Mud-Slap
• Rock Throw
• Hex
• Snarl
• Bubble

Best move counters (Charged)

• Origin Pulse
• Precipice Blades
• Brutal Swing
• Hydro Pump
• Hydro Cannon
• Shadow Ball
• Earth Power
• Moongeist Beam
• Rock Slide
• Rock Wrecker
• Scorching Sands
• Crabhammer
• Foul Play
• Sandsear Storm
• High Horsepower
• Shadow Force
• Dark Pulse
• Meteor Beam

---

Is Blacephalon good in Pokemon GO?

Blacephalon can be a quality PvE attacker (Image via The Pokemon Company)

With its base Attack stat of 315 and Fire/Ghost-type movesets, Blacephalon can be analogous to the popular attacker Chandelure. However, its learnable moves would arguably put it a bit lower than Chandelure overall in most players' rankings. Be that as it may, it should be an effective high-octane attacker, particularly in raids.

Unfortunately, Blacephalon's low Stamina and Defense stats severely limit its effectiveness at any stage of PvP. Some trainers may be able to build a team around it to make it somewhat manageable, but Blacephalon is too fragile and has five weaknesses to exploit, so it can't be relied upon in the ongoing PvP meta.