Which Lycanroc is better in Pokemon GO: Midday, Midnight, or Dusk?

Which form of Lycanroc is the best in Pokemon GO? This question arose with the arrival of Dusk Form Lycanroc on January 6, 2024, bringing all three variants of the creature into focus. The forms share some similarities, including the fact that they're all mono Rock-type creatures, but they also have differences worth pointing out.

Each form of Lycanroc in Pokemon GO possesses its own max stats, learnable moves, and maximum CP limits. To this point, Midnight Lycanroc had already pulled ahead of its Midday counterpart as the superior option in most circles. However, the arrival of Dusk Form Lycanroc has called for a reexamination of how each form stacks up.

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

---

Determining the best pick between Dusk, Midnight, and Midday Form Lycanroc in Pokemon GO

Dusk Form Lycanroc was the last form of its kind to be introduced to Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

Thanks to the metrics provided by the Pokemon GO community, one can look at the stats, CP, and learnable moves of each form of Lycanroc for comparison. A breakdown of their differences can be seen in the table below:

Form	Max CP	Max Attack	Max Defense	Max Stamina	Learnable Fast Moves	Learnable Charged Moves
Midday	3027	231	140	181	Sucker Punch, Rock Throw	Stone Edge, Drill Run, Crunch, Trailblaze
Midnight	3102	218	152	198	Rock Throw, Counter	Stone Edge, Crunch, Psychic Fangs, Trailblaze
Dusk	3054	234	139	181	Sucker Punch, Rock Throw, Counter	Stone Edge, Iron Head, Crunch, Trailblaze

With the current data available, the "best" Lycanroc form in Pokemon GO depends on what a trainer hopes to use the creature for.

Due to its higher maximum Attack stat and diverse collection of learnable moves, Dusk Form Lycanroc should be well-suited (though unspectacular compared to high-tier Rock-type species) for PvE battles like raids, gym attacks/defense, and Team GO Rocket fights.

Meanwhile, with the best Defense and Stamina stats of the bunch, Midnight Lycanroc will likely be a fan's best bet when it comes to low-end PvP battles like those seen in the Great League. However, the arrival of specialty formats and cups may see Midday or Dusk Form Lycanroc have their own applications as well. However, Midday finds itself in a strange, nebulous area in both PvE and PvP.

Midday Form Lycanroc still has its uses in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

None of this is to say that Midday Form Lycanroc is useless, but it has to put in extra work to succeed compared to its counterparts. Access to the Charged Move Drill Run gives it useful type coverage against some opponents, so trainers shouldn't neglect using it if they're encountering similar-strength opponents of the following types:

• Electric
• Fire
• Poison
• Rock
• Steel

All in all, Lycanroc isn't exactly a world-beater when it comes to Rock-type Pokemon, regardless of the form it takes. Be that as it may, players can still have a degree of success with Midnight Form in PvP and Dusk Form in PvE if they don't attempt to tackle opponents that outclass them. Midday Form can also serve as a relatively decent replacement if trainers don't have access to Midnight or Dusk.