Pokémon Go Great League Remix: Best Pokémon

Wake up honey, a new Great League Remix just dropped in Pokémon Go! It’s the same old rules you know and love from Go Battle League’s bread-and-butter competition, but spiced up with a large number of Pokémon bans, which shake the meta in a big way.

Great League Remix will run from October 22 to 29, 2024, featuring the regular 1,500 competition point (CP) limit on participating Pokémon. There are no type restrictions of any sort, though the 20 most popular Pokémon among trainers ranked Ace and above in the Great League have been banned in this particular ruleset. Here are the monsters you’re not allowed to use:

• Alolan Sandslash
• Wigglytuff
• Dewgong
• Marowak
• Feraligatr
• Azumarill
• Jumpluff
• Quagsire
• Dunsparce
• Gastrodon (West Sea)
• Gastrodon (East Sea)
• Drapion
• Serperior
• Ferrothorn
• Mandibuzz
• Greninja
• Diggersby
• Talonflame
• Malamar
• Toxapex
• Paldean Clodsire

Show your opponents that size matters not with the best Pokémon for Great League Remix in Pokémon Go based on statistics and simulations provided by PvPoke.com.

Pokémon Go Great League Remix: Best Leads

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

1. Pangoro (Karate Chop, Close Combat, Night Slash)
2. Clefable (Fairy Wind, Moonblast, Swift)
3. Shadow Gallade (Psycho Cut, Close Combat, Leaf Blade)
4. Shadow Machamp (Karate Chop, Cross Chop, Stone Edge)
5. Shadow Ursaring (Shadow Claw, Swift, Close Combat)
6. Shadow Alolan Marowak (Fire Spin, Bone Club, Shadow Bone)
7. Qwilfish (Poison Sting, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam)
8. Runerigus (Shadow Claw, Brutal Swing, Shadow Ball)
9. Shadow Galarian Weezing (Fairy Wind, Brutal Swing, Play Rough)
10. Shadow Machoke (Karate Chop, Cross Chop, Dynamic Punch)

Pokémon Go Great League Remix: Best Safe Switches

If the opening pairing is to your disadvantage, you should consider switching out your lead for another Pokémon. This is where this class comes into play. They are either strong leads themselves or are specialized in countering some of the most popular leads. In any case, a switch will preserve your original opener to fight later on in the battle and perhaps force your opponent to also adapt their strategy on the fly.

1. Shadow Galarian Weezing (Fairy Wind, Brutal Swing, Play Rough)
2. Qwilfish (Poison Sting, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam)
3. Shadow Ursaring (Shadow Claw, Swift, Close Combat)
4. Shadow Hippowdon (Sand Attack, Weather Ball (Rock), Scorching Sands)
5. Clefable (Fairy Wind, Moonblast, Swift)
6. Galarian Weezing (Fairy Wind, Brutal Swing, Play Rough)
7. Hisuian Qwilfish (Poison Sting, Aqua Tail, Dark Pulse)
8. Runerigus (Shadow Claw, Brutal Swing, Shadow Ball)
9. Lickilicky (Rollout, Body Slam, Earthquake)
10. Pangoro (Karate Chop, Close Combat, Night Slash)

Pokémon Go Great League Remix: Best Closers

These Pokémon are particularly useful when there are no shields left in play on either side – they are incredibly tough themselves or end battles quickly thanks to powerful charge attacks, which can’t be deflected without a shield.

1. Shadow Gallade (Psycho Cut, Close Combat, Leaf Blade)
2. Shadow Sneasler (Shadow Claw, Close Combat, Aerial Ace)
3. Pangoro (Karate Chop, Close Combat, Night Slash)
4. Registeel [S] (Lock On, Focus Blast, Zap Cannon)
5. Carbink [XL] (Rock Throw, Power Gem, Moonblast)
6. Chesnaught (Vine Whip, Frenzy Plant, Superpower)
7. Regirock [S] (Lock On, Stone Edge, Focus Blast)
8. Shadow Staraptor (Quick Attack, Fly, Close Combat)
9. Froslass [S] (Powder Snow, Avalanche, Shadow Ball)
10. Sneasler (Shadow Claw, Close Combat, Aerial Ace)

[XL] = Pokémon requires Candy XL to reach optimal performance level; [S] = Regular form and Shadow form perform similarly.

Pokémon Go Great League Remix: Best Attackers

These Pokémon perform best when fighting a trainer who still has shields, while you no longer have shields yourself. They combine important resistances and strong fast attacks to compensate for this disadvantage. For this reason, you rarely see Shadow forms in this role – they take more damage than their regular counterparts, making them a risky card to put on the table.

1. Bastiodon [XL] (Smack Down, Stone Edge, Flamethrower)
2. Steelix (Dragon Tail, Crunch, Psychic Fangs)
3. Carbink [XL] (Rock Throw, Rock Slide, Moonblast)
4. Guzzlord (Dragon Tail, Brutal Swing, Sludge Bomb)
5. Shadow Steelix (Dragon Tail, Crunch, Psychic Fangs)
6. Shadow Bastiodon [XL] (Smack Down, Stone Edge, Flamethrower)
7. Araquanid (Bug Bite, Bug Buzz, Bubble Beam)
8. Umbreon (Snarl, Foul Play, Last Resort)
9. Galarian Stunfisk (Mud Shot, Rock Slide, Earthquake)
10. Whiscash (Mud Shot, Mud Bomb, Scald)

Great League Remix presents a massive departure from the regular Great League meta with just a few survivors from the standard rankings. Some familiar names from the past have been catapulted back into the spotlight by the bans, bringing Pokémon like Bastiodon, Steelix, and Umbreon back up. Unfortunately, a high number of Shadow Pokémon being in the top ranks makes this competition a little less accessible than usual.

For more Pokémon Go, check our overviews for the weekly Spotlight Hours and 5-Star Raids.