Pokémon Go Ultra Premier: Best Pokémon

The premier Pokémon for an ultra performance

Contents

1. Pokémon Go Ultra Premier: Best Leads
2. Pokémon Go Ultra Premier: Best Safe Switches
3. Pokémon Go Ultra Premier: Best Closers
4. Pokémon Go Ultra Premier: Best Attackers

Joining the Ultra League in Pokémon Go from February 2, 2023, at 1pm PT to February 9, 2023, the Ultra Premier format makes an appearance.

Just like the Ultra League, the Ultra Premier comes with a competition points (CP) limit of 2,500 CP. While fielding Pokémon that have been powered up with Candy XL is completely fine, you’re not allowed to use Legendary or Mythical Pokémon, and Ultra Beasts are also not eligible.

Don’t get this format mixed up with the Ultra Premier Classic, which is the competition that bans XL Pokémon from taking part.

Based on statistics and simulations provided by PvPoke.com, we present you with the best Pokémon for Ultra Premier in GO Battle League.

Pokémon Go Ultra Premier: Best Leads

These Pokémon aggressively apply pressure on your opponent right from the start of a duel and can survive even tough battles for a long time – they are perfect to open a match up, enabling you to score an early knockout or set up a strong counter play.

1. Shadow Charizard (Wing Attack, Blast Burn, Dragon Claw)
2. Scrafty(XL) (Counter, Foul Play, Power-Up Punch)
3. Steelix(S)(XL) (Dragon Tail, Psychic Fangs, Crunch)
4. Pidgeot(XL) (Wing Attack, Feather Dance, Brave Bird)
5. Aurorus (Powder Snow, Weather Ball (Ice), Meteor Beam)
6. Shadow Luxray (Spark, Wild Charge, Psychic Fangs)
7. Gliscor(S) (Wing Attack, Night Slash, Earthquake)
8. Sneasler (Shadow Claw, Close Combat, X-Scissor)
9. Shadow Machamp (Counter, Cross Chop, Rock Slide)
10. Shadow Swampert (Mud Shot, Hydro Cannon, Earthquake)

Pokémon marked with (S) perform almost equally in their regular and Shadow forms, those marked with (XL) need to be powered up with Candy XL to reach peak performance.

Pokémon Go Ultra Premier: Best Safe Switches

These Pokémon serve as switch options for your lead – should the opening pairing be to your disadvantage, switch in one of these monsters instead to preserve your lead Pokémon for later. According to this purpose, these are primarily Pokémon that counter some of the most popular leads or are strong leads themselves.

1. Sirfetch’d (Counter, Leaf Blade, Brave Bird)
2. Shadow Walrein (Powder Snow, Icicle Spear, Earthquake)
3. Dubwool(XL) (Double Kick, Body Slam, Payback)
4. Pelipper(XL) (Wing Attack, Weather Ball (Water), Hurricane)
5. Bewear (Shadow Claw, Superpower, Stomp)
6. Galarian Stunfisk(XL) (Mud Shot, Rock Slide, Earthquake)
7. Lucario (Counter, Power-Up Punch, Shadow Ball)
8. Shadow Charizard (Wing Attack, Blast Burn, Dragon Claw)
9. Trevenant(XL) (Shadow Claw, Seed Bomb, Shadow Ball)
10. Steelix(S)(XL) (Dragon Tail, Psychic Fangs, Crunch)

Pokémon Go Ultra Premier: Best Closers

These Pokémon are especially strong when there are no shields left in play on either side – they are incredibly tough themselves or end battles with a single hit of their powerful charge attacks.

1. Staraptor(S) (Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat)
2. Shadow Electivire (Thunder Shock, Wild Charge, Ice Punch)
3. Galarian Stunfisk(XL) (Mud Shot, Rock Slide, Earthquake)
4. Hitmontop(XL) (Counter, Close Combat, Stone Edge)
5. Escavalier (Counter, Drill Run, Megahorn)
6. Kommo-o (Dragon Tail, Close Combat, Dragon Claw)
7. Pidgeot(XL) (Wing Attack, Feather Dance, Brave Bird)
8. Shadow Machamp (Counter, Cross Chop, Rock Slide)
9. Hariyama(S) (Counter, Close Combat, Stone Edge)
10. Shadow Magnezone (Spark, Wild Charge, Mirror Shot)

Pokémon Go Ultra Premier: Best Attackers

These Pokémon perform best when fighting a trainer who still has shields, while you no longer have shields yourself – they have the ideal combination of resistances and strong fast attacks to compensate for this disadvantage. For this reason, you rarely see Shadow forms in this category – they take more damage than their regular counterparts, which is very risky at this stage of a match.

1. Steelix(S)(XL) (Dragon Tail, Psychic Fangs, Crunch)
2. Pidgeot(XL) (Wing Attack, Feather Dance, Brave Bird)
3. Galarian Stunfisk(XL) (Mud Shot, Rock Slide, Earthquake)
4. Scrafty(XL) (Counter, Foul Play, Power-Up Punch)
5. Mantine(XL) (Wing Attack, Bubble Beam, Ice Beam)
6. Umbreon(XL) (Snarl, Foul Play, Last Resort)
7. Mandibuzz(XL) (Snarl, Foul Play, Aerial Ace)
8. Obstagoon (Counter, Night Slash, Cross Chop)
9. Forretress(XL) (Bug Bite, Mirror Shot, Earthquake)
10. Miltank(XL) (Tackle, Body Slam, Ice Beam)

In a continuation of a larger trend, Wing Attack users once again appear to dominate the competition with Pokémon like Charizard, Skorgla, and Pidgeot gaining prominent ranks. Aurorus is another recent addition to the top positions, profiting from the widened availability of Meteor Beam. Traditionally strong groups like Fighting- and Dark-types as well as the “mud bois” – Galarian Stunfisk and Swampert – remain meta relevant as well.

Apart from GO Battle League, you should check out this month’s Raids, Field Research, and Spotlight Hours to not miss anything going on in the mobile game.