One of the keys to success in Pokémon GO, whether you’re battling in Gyms, Raids, or PvP, is having a well-balanced team of Pokémon. A balanced team helps cover type weaknesses, allows for more flexible strategies, and ensures you’re prepared for a wide range of opponents. In this article, we’ll break down the best tips to help you build a balanced team in Pokémon GO, so you can dominate the competition.
Understanding Pokémon Types
Pokémon are divided into different types, and each type has strengths and weaknesses. Knowing these type matchups is crucial when building a balanced team. There are 18 types in Pokémon GO, including:
- Fire
- Water
- Grass
- Electric
- Dragon
- Ghost
- Psychic
- Rock
- Steel
- Fairy
- Fighting
- Ice
- Dark
- Normal
- Ground
- Bug
- Poison
- Flying
Each type is strong against certain other types and weak against others. For example, Water-types are strong against Fire, Ground, and Rock, while they’re weak to Electric and Grass.
A balanced team incorporates Pokémon from different types to cover as many weaknesses as possible. This way, if one of your Pokémon faces a disadvantage, another one on your team can step in to counter the opponent.
Start with a Core Pokémon
Every strong Pokémon GO team starts with a core Pokémon, a reliable attacker or defender you can build your team around. This core Pokémon should have good stats, versatile moves, and solid type coverage.
For example:
- Garchomp (Dragon/Ground): Garchomp is a great core Pokémon thanks to its high Attack stat and access to powerful moves like Earth Power and Outrage. Its Dragon/Ground typing makes it effective against Electric, Fire, Rock, and Steel-type Pokémon.
- Togekiss (Fairy/Flying): With access to powerful moves like Charm and Dazzling Gleam, Togekiss is a fantastic core Pokémon for dealing with Dragon, Dark, and Fighting-types. Its bulk also makes it a durable option in battle.
Choose a core Pokémon that fits your playstyle—whether you prefer heavy offense, defense, or a balance between the two.
Build Around Your Core Pokémon
Once you have your core Pokémon, it’s time to build around it. The goal is to create a team that complements your core by covering its weaknesses and providing synergy in battles.
For example, if your core Pokémon is Garchomp (Dragon/Ground), you need to account for its weaknesses to Ice and Fairy-types. Consider adding Pokémon that resist those types, such as:
- Steel-type Pokémon: Metagross or Steelix are excellent partners, as they can tank Ice and Fairy-type moves while dealing solid damage in return.
- Fire-type Pokémon: Charizard or Moltres can help deal with troublesome Ice-type opponents while bringing more offensive power to the team.
Similarly, if your core Pokémon is Togekiss (Fairy/Flying), which is weak to Electric, Ice, and Poison-types, you could pair it with:
- Ground-type Pokémon: Swampert or Excadrill to counter Electric-types.
- Fire-type Pokémon: Heatran or Blaziken to handle Ice-types.
Covering Multiple Roles
A well-balanced team in Pokémon GO also needs to cover different roles in battle. These roles include:
- Lead Pokémon: This is the Pokémon you start the battle with, typically one with fast-charging moves and a good amount of bulk. Example: Machamp is a great lead Pokémon with its fast Counter move and access to Rock Slide for quick charge moves.
- Tank Pokémon: A Pokémon that can absorb a lot of damage while wearing down opponents. Example: Snorlax or Umbreon are ideal tanks, thanks to their high HP and bulk.
- Sweeper Pokémon: This is your heavy hitter, a Pokémon designed to finish off weakened opponents with powerful Charge Moves. Example: Dragonite with Dragon Breath and Draco Meteor can deal massive damage when used at the right time.
Type Synergy and Counters
One of the most important aspects of building a balanced Pokémon GO team is ensuring you have good type synergy. This means that your team members should cover each other’s weaknesses effectively.
For example, let’s say you’re using a Dragonite (Dragon/Flying) as your lead Pokémon. Dragonite is weak to Ice, Rock, Dragon, and Fairy-type moves. To cover these weaknesses, you could add:
- Swampert (Water/Ground): Swampert can take on Rock and Fairy-types, while also providing solid coverage against Electric-types.
- Metagross (Steel/Psychic): Metagross can counter Ice and Dragon-types while resisting a wide range of moves, making it a fantastic partner for Dragonite.
By ensuring that your Pokémon complement each other’s weaknesses, you’ll be better equipped to handle whatever your opponent throws at you.
Pay Attention to Movesets
In Pokémon GO, a Pokémon’s moveset is just as important as its typing. For each Pokémon on your team, you’ll want to make sure they have optimal movesets that cover a variety of threats.
For example:
- Garchomp: Use Mud Shot as a Fast Move and Earth Power or Outrage as Charge Moves.
- Togekiss: Pair Charm with Ancient Power and Dazzling Gleam to handle a range of opponents.
- Metagross: Go with Bullet Punch as the Fast Move and Meteor Mash (if available) or Earthquake as the Charge Move.
Be sure to regularly check the moveset options for your Pokémon, especially when new events or move updates happen in Pokémon GO.
Team Rotation and Flexibility
No Pokémon GO team is perfect for every situation, so it’s important to have a rotation of strong Pokémon that you can switch between depending on the challenge. For example, if you’re participating in a Raid battle against a Water-type legendary, you might want to swap out your usual team for one filled with Electric and Grass-types like Raikou or Venusaur.
Staying flexible and knowing when to swap in different Pokémon will keep your team prepared for every kind of battle.
Conclusion
Building a balanced team in Pokémon GO is all about understanding type matchups, selecting Pokémon with complementary strengths, and ensuring you have coverage across various battle scenarios. By following these expert tips, you’ll be able to create a team that’s ready for any challenge—from Gym battles to PvP to Raids.
