Pokemon GO guide: What is the best team for Great League? (October 2022)

Pokemon GO's Great League has been a staple of PvP since the game's inception. The league features a 1,500 CP maximum, making trainers think hard about which Pokemon to pick for their battle teams to achieve a solid balance.

Since many Pocket Monsters are incapable of participating in the Great League, sometimes players have to get creative with their teams. Type advantages are worth considering, as well as a Pokemon's IV stats and their CP. Additionally, some species better serve as the first choice in a battle, while others are ideal for closing out matches.

Thanks to the recent implementations in the Season of Light, the Great League meta has changed up a bit. Old picks still work fine, but newcomers have risen to the top of the Great League rankings.

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Formulating a quality team for the Great League in Pokemon GO

Leaders

Shiny Swampert in Pokemon GO's AR mode (Image via Niantic)

Leaders are best placed at the forefront of your battle team. They tend to have impressive all-around stats, including high durability and respectable damage output. Many Leaders also possess a low number of elemental weaknesses, keeping them from being exploited by certain moves.

Some top options have remained in place, but the Season of Light and the arrival of additional Alolan/Hisuian Pokemon have introduced new options for team leads in Pokemon GO's Great League.

Top Leader picks:

• Galarian Stunfisk
• Swampert/Shadow Swampert
• Trevenant
• Runerigus
• Scrafty
• Kommo-O
• Shadow Machamp
• Sneasler
• Shadow Luxray

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Switches

Zangoose's capability in Great League has risen in popularity in recent months (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Switches are the go-to options in Pokemon GO when your opponent has the advantage. These picks can be tagged in when your Leader is in an unfavorable type matchup or is being outclassed in stats or CP. Switches can apply shield pressure and deal great damage even if they don't win upon arrival.

Type weaknesses are a big part of considering a Switch, as these Pokemon GO creatures ideally have very safe type matchups. The more elemental resistances these species have, the better they tend to operate in battle when the Leader is recalled. It's situational, of course, since each battle is different, but it's something worth keeping in mind when finding the right Switch for your team makeup.

Top Switch picks:

• Shadow Walrein
• Zangoose
• Dubwool
• Shadow Beedrill
• Snorlax
• Galvantula
• Cofagrigus
• Vigoroth
• Mew
• Samurott

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Closers

Registeel's durability makes it an excellent closer (Image via Niantic)

As the battle drags out to the bitter end, Pokemon GO trainers will want their Closer to be as prepared as possible. These Pokemon perform well thanks to their considerable durability and capability to defeat opponents with or without shields left in reserve. Hard-hitting attacks ensure these options can close out most matchups they enter and end the match.

Top Closer picks:

• Registeel
• Shadow Electivire
• Altaria
• Staraptor
• Regirock
• Shadow Raikou
• Froslass
• Skarmory
• Regice
• Toxapex
• Shadow Jumpluff

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Conclusion

The popular pick for a Great League team may not always be the right one (Image via Niantic)

At the end of the day, in lieu of popular meta picks, Pokemon GO trainers will want to put their best foot forward. This means selecting the right species that complements an individual trainer's strengths while also covering their most glaring weaknesses. It's wise to perform a post-match analysis to see what was done well (and what wasn't) in order to find missing links in your team.

Pokemon GO trainers who invest time into the game will have vastly different experiences in PvP. In many situations, what a player puts into the Great League may dictate what they receive.