What is the best moveset for Altaria in Pokemon GO?

In Pokemon GO, Altaria is the first and final evolution of Swablu, though the creature can utilize Mega Evolution to vastly improve its battle capabilities. As a Dragon/Flying-type Pocket Monster, it has a quality elemental type combination akin to Dragonite and great defensive stats that make it a quality asset in PvP arenas, particularly in the Great and Ultra Leagues.

However, Altaria has some limited use in PvE environments like raids, gym attack and defense, and Team GO Rocket battles. However, if trainers plan to use the creature in combat, they may want to optimize its moveset for the battle format it is participating in.

That certainly sounds like a straightforward proposition, but what movesets benefit Altaria the most in Pokemon GO?

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the opinions of the writer

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Optimizing the right movesets for Altaria in Pokemon GO's PvE and PvP environments

As a Flying/Dragon-type species in Pokemon GO, Altaria naturally benefits from using moves of the same type. Thanks to the Same Type Attacker Bonus (STAB), Altaria's use of moves that match its elemental types gives it boosted attack damage, which is something to consider when formulating movesets for it.

However, Dragon and Flying-type moves can't account for every opponent that players encounter. Altaria will want to diversify its movesets, depending on what form of battles it's participating in.

In PvE fights, Altaria benefits the most from sticking to its Dragon and Flying-type moves. However, its access to Fairy-type attacks can also provide it with some diversity and the ability to perform well against foes in gym attacks and raids.

Meanwhile, the wide breadth of opponents Altaria can face in Pokemon GO PvP forces it to reach deep into its move collection and make its moveset capable of dealing with different type matchups.

Here are the recommended movesets for Altaria in Pokemon GO:

• PvE - Peck and Sky Attack, Dragon Breath and Dragon Pulse, or Dragon Breath and Dazzling Gleam
• PvP - Dragon Breath, Sky Attack, and either Dragon Pulse or Moonblast

With the movesets listed above, Altaria will benefit from STAB, thanks to the presence of its Flying and Dragon-type moves, while branching into Fairy-type attacks like Dazzling Gleam and Moonblast (when it's appropriate to do so depending on the enemy type).

Altaria can reliably lean on Dragon/Flying-type moves in Pokemon GO PvE since trainers tend to know their opponent ahead of time. However, PvP is more unpredictable, making Fairy-type attacks more useful for taking care of type coverage and dealing super effective damage to Dark, Dragon, and Fighting-type foes.

Although these movesets are considered optimal in some circumstances, players should always stay open-minded and flexible in battles to adapt to the evolving PvE and PvP meta.

If the movesets listed above aren't resulting in victories, trainers shouldn't be shy about changing up their moves and strategies to see if any other combinations benefit Altaria better in the Rising Heroes season and its accompanying battle modes. New meta picks are arriving all the time, and Altaria will want the best moves to address them before they become a problem in battle.