What is the best moveset for Mega Pinsir in Pokemon GO?

Pokemon GO's latest Mega Evolution, Mega Pinsir, has arrived as part of the "A Valorous Hero" event. The Bug/Flying-type creature has excellent attack and defense stats even if its overall stamina doesn't quite measure up. Since the Pocket Monster is available as a Mega Raid boss during A Valorous Hero, trainers have been able to acquire Mega Energy for it to evolve their own Pinsir.

Thanks to its maximum attack stat bordering on the top 25 in Pokemon GO, Mega Pinsir can be a powerful ally in battle. However, if players plan to use this mighty Bug-type creature, they'll want to optimize its moveset for great damage and energy generation.

Even better, the same moves that are ideal for Mega Pinsir also work great for standard Pinsir in Pokemon GO.

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

---

Recommended movesets for Mega Pinsir in Pokemon GO

For most situations, Pokemon GO players will be using Mega Pinsir in PvE environments, primarily gym raids. However, there are occasional PvP specialty formats that permit Mega Evolutions to participate, so trainers will want to keep that in mind when gearing up Mega Pinsir's moves.

Will players utilize this Mega Evolution only for raiding, or will they want to create a more varied moveset to give it some extra viability in some PvP formats? That ultimately comes down to each trainer, but it's something to mull over. Mega Pinsir benefits from different movesets, depending on which arena it's stepping into.

Here are the recommended movesets for Pinsir in Pokemon GO:

• PvE - Fury Cutter and X-Scissor
• PvP - Fury Cutter, X-Scissor, and Close Combat

When battling in raids and most other PvE environments, Mega Pinsir can reliably lean on its Bug-type moves. This is especially true since players will often know the opponent they're up against in PvE.

Mega Pinsir also benefits from the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) since it's a partial Bug-type creature. This amplifies the damage of its Bug-type moves, which is certainly something worth investing in when taking on powerful raid bosses. Fury Cutter is quick, generates great energy, and allows Mega Pinsir to attack with X-Scissor regularly.

In PvP, Mega Pinsir can continue to use its Bug-type attacks, but it'll need some extra variety to its moveset to deal with other opponents of different elemental types. This is where Close Combat comes in, as it deals heavy damage despite debuffing the user.

Pokemon GO players will need to use the attack tactically to ensure that they don't set up Mega Pinsir in a poor situation for the rest of the battle. However, when used wisely, Close Combat can be an excellent nuke that some opponents may not see coming in PvP situations.

Although the movesets listed above are recommended, there is still room for alternatives if things aren't panning out as planned for players using Mega Pinsir.

Bug Bite and Superpower are also quality moves in Mega Pinsir's move collection. If trainers are struggling with the recommended movesets, they may want to change things up to see if other moves serve them better.