Choosing the right Pokémon for battle in Pokémon Go is crucial for success in raids, gyms, and PvP. This guide will break down the best attackers by type, helping you build a formidable team. We'll cover top choices, considering both their stats and movepools, to ensure you’re equipped to conquer any challenge. Remember that the “best” attacker can depend on the specific situation, but these picks are consistently strong performers.
Top Tier Attackers: A Type-by-Type Breakdown
This section details the strongest attackers for each type, considering factors like attack power, move effectiveness, and overall performance in various game modes. We'll also look at some viable alternatives to offer you more strategic options.
1. Normal Type Attackers
While not known for incredible offensive power, Normal-type Pokémon can shine in certain situations.
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Best Choice: Mewtwo (Shadow) – While not strictly Normal, Mewtwo's Shadow Claw and Future Sight combination delivers devastating damage. Its high attack stat makes it surprisingly effective against opponents weak to Normal-type moves.
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Alternatives: Snorlax with Lick and Body Slam offers consistent damage output, and Medicham's Counter and Dynamic Punch are effective against certain opponents.
2. Fire Type Attackers
Fire-type Pokémon are extremely versatile, effective against Grass, Ice, Bug, and Steel types.
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Best Choice: Charizard (Mega) – Mega Charizard X boasts incredibly high attack power and a superb movepool. Its access to Blast Burn makes it an absolute powerhouse.
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Alternatives: Blaziken and Moltres provide solid firepower and are more readily accessible than Mega Charizard X. Consider their movesets carefully.
3. Water Type Attackers
Water-type Pokémon are crucial for countering Fire, Ground, and Rock types.
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Best Choice: Kyogre (Primal) – Primal Kyogre’s Water Spout is unmatched in power, making it a top-tier attacker. Its high HP and bulk further enhance its effectiveness.
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Alternatives: Swampert is a reliable choice thanks to its high attack and survivability, and Gyarados with Waterfall and Crunch is a solid option with good coverage.
4. Electric Type Attackers
Electric-type attacks are exceptionally powerful against Flying, Water, and other Electric types.
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Best Choice: Zekrom – Zekrom's high attack and access to Wild Charge makes it an excellent choice. Its ability to devastate flying opponents is undeniable.
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Alternatives: Raikou offers solid performance and is more readily accessible than some legendary Pokémon, and Electivire provides great coverage with its powerful electric-type moves.
5. Grass Type Attackers
Grass-type Pokémon are effective against Water, Ground, and Rock types, and crucial for certain raid battles.
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Best Choice: Venusaur (Mega) – Mega Venusaur's Frenzy Plant is devastating, and its high bulk makes it a durable attacker.
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Alternatives: Roserade and Sceptile provide good performance with high attack and access to strong STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) moves.
6. Ice Type Attackers
Ice-type attacks are super effective against Grass, Ground, Dragon, and Flying types, making them essential for many battles.
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Best Choice: Mamoswine – Mamoswine’s high attack and access to powerful Ice-type moves, like Avalanche, make it a top-tier attacker.
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Alternatives: Weavile boasts high attack and speed, while Articuno offers strong, consistent performance.
7. Fighting Type Attackers
Fighting-type Pokémon excel against Normal, Rock, Ice, Steel, and Dark types.
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Best Choice: Lucario (Mega) – Mega Lucario's incredible attack and access to powerful moves like Close Combat make it a dominating force in battle.
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Alternatives: Breloom boasts high attack and access to Spore, while Conkeldurr is a reliable tanky attacker with high attack and defense.
8. Poison Type Attackers
Poison-type attackers are useful against Grass, Fairy, and Ground types.
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Best Choice: Gengar (Mega) – Mega Gengar's high Special Attack and access to Shadow Ball make it a powerful special attacker, effective against Ghost and Psychic types as well.
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Alternatives: Toxicroak and Muk provide solid damage output and high bulk, making them decent choices.
9. Ground Type Attackers
Ground-type Pokémon are highly effective against Electric, Rock, Poison, Steel, and Fire types.
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Best Choice: Groudon (Primal) – Primal Groudon's Precipice Blades is devastating, making it a top-tier attacker. Its high attack and bulk make it extremely powerful.
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Alternatives: Landorus-Therian and Excadrill are reliable options with good attack and access to strong moves.
10. Flying Type Attackers
Flying-type Pokémon excel against Grass, Fighting, and Bug types.
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Best Choice: Moltres – Moltres offers a good combination of attack, bulk, and coverage due to access to both Fire and Flying moves.
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Alternatives: Skarmory and Staraptor are great options, particularly when dealing with Fighting types.
11. Psychic Type Attackers
Psychic-type Pokémon are powerful against Fighting and Poison types.
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Best Choice: Mewtwo – Mewtwo’s Psychic and Shadow Ball combination makes it a formidable attacker against Psychic and Ghost-types. Consider both its Shadow and regular forms.
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Alternatives: Espeon and Alakazam provide solid special attack power and valuable coverage.
12. Bug Type Attackers
Bug-type Pokémon excel against Grass, Psychic, and Dark types.
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Best Choice: Pinsir (Mega) – Mega Pinsir’s Earthquake and X-Scissor make it a surprisingly effective and versatile attacker.
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Alternatives: Scizor and Heracross are capable fighters with good attack stats and movepools.
13. Rock Type Attackers
Rock-type Pokémon are effective against Ice, Flying, Bug, and Fire types.
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Best Choice: Rampardos – Rampardos boasts incredibly high attack and access to powerful Rock-type moves.
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Alternatives: Tyranitar and Terrakion are capable options, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
14. Ghost Type Attackers
Ghost types are strong against Ghost and Psychic.
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Best Choice: Gengar (Mega) – Mega Gengar's high Special Attack and access to Shadow Ball and other STAB moves make it excel against Ghost and Psychic types.
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Alternatives: Giratina (Altered) and Dusknoir offer strong coverage against these types.
15. Steel Type Attackers
Steel types are strong against Rock, Ice, Fairy, and other Steel types.
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Best Choice: Metagross (Mega) – Mega Metagross's high attack and access to Earthquake makes it a powerhouse, while having a good defense stat to boot.
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Alternatives: Dialga and Genesect are powerful options with access to strong Steel-type attacks.
16. Fire Type Attackers
Fire-type Pokémon are extremely versatile, effective against Grass, Ice, Bug, and Steel types.
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Best Choice: Charizard (Mega) – Mega Charizard X boasts incredibly high attack power and a superb movepool. Its access to Blast Burn makes it an absolute powerhouse.
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Alternatives: Blaziken and Moltres provide solid firepower and are more readily accessible than Mega Charizard X. Consider their movesets carefully.
17. Dark Type Attackers
Dark-type Pokémon are effective against Ghost and Psychic types.
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Best Choice: Tyranitar – Tyranitar boasts high attack and defense, along with access to powerful Dark and Rock-type moves.
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Alternatives: Houndoom and Umbreon are solid alternatives with good type coverage.
18. Dragon Type Attackers
Dragon-type Pokémon are super effective against Dragon types.
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Best Choice: Rayquaza – Rayquaza’s access to Dragon Ascent makes it a dominant force in many battles. High attack, speed, and moveset make it one of the best in the game.
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Alternatives: Salamence and Dialga are solid options, but Rayquaza generally surpasses them.
19. Fairy Type Attackers
Fairy-type Pokémon are effective against Dragon, Fighting, and Dark types.
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Best Choice: Azumarill – Azumarill’s Play Rough and Waterfall combination provides great coverage, and its high HP and defense make it remarkably durable.
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Alternatives: Togekiss and Sylveon offer good special attack power with Fairy-type moves.
Choosing the Right Attacker: Consider These Factors
Beyond type matchups, several factors influence a Pokémon's effectiveness:
- Individual Values (IVs): Higher IVs translate to stronger stats.
- Movepool: Access to strong STAB moves is essential.
- Fast Moves vs. Charged Moves: Balancing fast and charged moves optimizes DPS (Damage Per Second).
- Game Mode: Optimal choices vary between raids, gyms, and PvP.
Conclusion: Building Your Ultimate Attacking Team
Building a diverse team with strong attackers of various types is key to success in Pokémon Go. This guide provides a strong foundation, but remember to experiment and discover what works best for your play style. Keep an eye out for new Pokémon and updates that may shift the meta. Happy battling!