Pokemon GO: Top picks for Great League by role (August 2021)

Pokemon GO's Great League has had some consensus top picks for some time. (Image via Niantic)

As Pokemon GO's Battle League Season 8 rolls on, players hoping to continue their winning streaks or jumping in for rewards may be looking to get an edge.

Pokemon GO's Great League has had an established meta game for some time, although popular Pokemon picks do occasionally shift when Niantic releases new Pokemon in-game.

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Regardless, there are certain Pokemon that excel in the Great League's PvP environment and others that lag behind. Because of this, keying in on top options and integrating them into one's team can help in PvP, especially in earlier ranks where anti-meta teams are less prevalent.

Pokemon GO: Top 5 Pokemon picks for Great League by role

Azumarill has remained one of the most popular picks in Great League for many seasons. (Image via Niantic)

When it comes to picking top options in Pokemon GO's Great League, it's important to know which role they perform well. A Pokemon that performs well as an offensive attacker may not be able to hold its ground without shields, which obviously plays into a strategy when team building.

In Pokemon GO PvP, Pokemon can be categorized into certain roles, such as:

Leads - Pokemon who perform well at a battle's outset. These Pokemon typically have enough stamina to drag out a fight while also dealing solid damage.
Closers - The reverse of Leads, Closers are Pokemon who drag out the back end of a fight and attempt to take down what's left of the opponent's team. Typically these Pokemon sport great defensive stats and can survive without assistance from shields.
Switches - If a player ends up in a bad matchup, that's where Switches come in. Switches are utility Pokemon that can make up for lost ground in a battle when a Lead ends up in a bad situation.
Chargers - Charge Moves are vital to dealing damage in Pokemon GO, and Chargers can stockpile energy quickly and use their Charge Moves to powerful effect.
Attackers - These Pokemon don't merely deal high damage, but also ramp up significant pressure on opponents to use their shields. Some perform so well in shield pressure that they can get by without shield assistance themselves.

With these facets in mind, here are some great role-based picks for Pokemon GO's Great League in Season 8 (XL and Shadow Pokemon are included within this list):

Leads