Pokemon GO GBL: Getting to rank 10 without Altaria, Azumarill, Registeel
Getting to Rank 10 in Pokemon Go’s GO Battle League is an impressive feat in itself but it is even more so if you can do without using Altaria, Azumarill, Registeel or even Skarmory.
That’s exactly what one trainer has done and they have even shared how. It wasn’t by luck either!
Anyone who has played GBL will know how difficult reaching rank 10 is as it requires a battle rating of 3,000 or higher. Due to the way the matchmaking works, you have to go through other top players to get there, too.
Just 2 days left of #GOBattle Great League! ⏰
Have you got to Rank 10 and what’s your win/loss record? ? pic.twitter.com/MRgVbZaKT8
— Pokemon News (@PokemonSwordNS) March 25, 2020
If you’re competing against the best trainers in GO Battle League then you’ll have no doubt come up against Altaria, Azumarill and Registeel. There’s a reason for this: they are among, and if not, the best options in GBL Great League.
So, to go against the grain and the accepted Great League meta, and come out on top 10 is commendable. There are other strong Pokemon that can be used and the trainer in question selected three of them and stuck by them in every single battle.
In fact they used the selected three for all 322 battles they played. Yes, that’s a lot of battles. Of those 322, they won 235 – an impressive 73% win ratio.
Unique Great League picks
AsianMilkMan shared their story on Reddit, revealing they exclusively used Dewgong, Mantine and Whiscash. That may raise a few eyebrows but they are actually good picks in their own-right.
To get to rank 10 in GO Battle League you have no option but to have two Charge Moves for each of your Pokemon. Having different type move options and the ability to be unpredictable is a must at that level.
BulbapediaDewgong
Unfortunately it might be tricky to replicate Dewgong’s moves though, as two of them are Legacy Moves. Ice Shard is a hard hitting Fast Move that is also generous with energy generation.
Icy Wind and Water Pulse, not only take advantage of STAB but also offer three and two-bar Charge Moves respectively. Ice-type moves are also effective against some tricky dragon, flying, grass and ground-types, too.
Pokemon FandomMantine
Mantine might be the most interesting of the three picks. It’s moveset doesn’t stand out and has a double weakness to electric-type attacks.
AsianMilkMan’s utilizes Bubble for the Fast Move with Bubble Beam and Ice Beam for the Charge Moves. What’s more curious about this is that it’s very similar to Dewgong.
This can produce the element of surprise but you’d think electric attackers would have a field day. Who are we to criticize the strategy though, with a win loss record like that!
Pokemon FandomWhiscash
Finally, Whiscash is probably the most common of the three picks. It has excellent stamina although its defense somewhat takes away from this.
Its strength comes from it moves, though. Mud Shot will allow you to get Charge Moves as quick as any other in the game.
Its first Charge Move, Mud Bomb, is a low energy, three-bar Charge Move which compliments Mud Shot perfectly. Its other selected Charge Move, Blizzard, is obviously far more powerful but does require significantly more energy.
A bit of trickery can be used here by saving up some Mud Bombs if you want to bait your opponent into wasting Protect Shields. It also gives the actual option of a powerful ice-type move. This means each of these Pokemon have an ice-type Charge Move – which could be something worth noting for your own team.
It’s good to see a Pokemon Go trainer have such success with a team of Pokemon that aren’t really in the meta. Hopefully other options come to the forefront to keep GO Battle Great League as fresh as possible.