The “Nifty Or Thrifty” article series takes a comprehensive look at the meta for PvP Cup formats, this time around it is the Great League edition of Summer Cup. As is typical for the NoT series, I’ll cover not only the top meta picks, but also some mons where you can save some dust with cheaper second move unlock costs and/or leveling up! Because for those on a stardust budget — and/or folks trying to save up some dust for the future — it can be daunting trying to figure out where to spend or not spend it. We all want to field competitive teams, but where can we get the best bang for our buck and where should we perhaps channel our inner scrooge?
A quick reminder of what this format is:
- Great League, 1500 CP Limit.
- Only Pokémon with a Grass, Fire, Water, Electric, Bug, or Normal typing are allowed.
As I try to usually do, I will start with those with the cheapest second move unlock cost and steam ahead until we finally arrive at the expensive Legendaries. I do try and put extra emphasis on the thriftier stuff, and in this particular meta, that’s easy, as a third of the Top 100 are 10k second move Pokémon, and three quarters of the Top 100 fall in the 10k or 50k categories. This is a very thrifty-friendly format.
There’s actually quite a bit new and different since we last saw Great League Summer Cup way back in Season 19. Lots of big rebalance stuff since then, and a nice chance to use many of this season’s biggest new rising stars, so let’s get right to it!
10,000 Dust/25 Candy
VENUSAUR
Vine Whip | Sludge & Frenzy Plantᴸ
Yep, the longest-running JRE inside joke continues… gotta lead off with my boy Venusaur! And with new Sludge, it’s better than ever! Coming in much faster than the coverage move that made it a long-time PvP star to this point, Sludge Bomb, Sludge brings in new wins over stuff like Charjabug, Crustle, Samurott, Gyarados, and Dunsparce. Shadow Venusaur is better versus opposing Grasses (adding Toedscruel and Shadow Victreebel), though the loss of bulk means it drops Crustle, Gary, Empoleon, and Shadow Kingdra.
DECIDUEYE
Leafage | Spirit Shackle & Frenzy Plantᴸ/Brave Bird
A great place to start showing off Leafage and its big buff this season. (It’s now a Shadow Claw/Dragon Breath/Fury Cutter/etc clone!) Spirit Shackle does a lot of good too, overcoming things Venusaur can struggle with like Empoleon, Toedscruel, and Jellicent, and then it’s a choice between Frenxy Plant to take down things like Crustle, Dedenne, Furret, and Dunspace, while Brave Bird to punch out Grasses like Venusaur, Ferrothorn, and Dartrix.
Hisuian Decidueye
GrassFighting
And HISUIAN DECIDUEYE gains new relevance too, not because of Leafage (it runs off of Psycho Cut instead), but the newly buffed Aura Sphere. While it struggles with things regular Deci can handle like Dedenne, Lapras, Crustle, Jellicent, and Kingdra, Aura Sphere punches out Steels like Ferrothorn, Empoleon, and Magnezone, and slays Normals like Drampa as well. The only sad thing is that GBL forces you to choose one Deci or the other.
CHESNAUGHT
Vine Whip | Superpower & Frenzy Plantᴸ
I still like Chesnaught a little bit better than H-Deci, I gotta say. The results in 1v1 shielding are very similar (Chesnaught is better versus Waters like Jellicent, Lapras, and Kingdra, while H-Deci instead gets Charjabug and Empoleon), but Chesnaught is superior with shields down, punching out Lapras, Gyarados, Kingdra, Samuortt, and Araquanid, whereas H-Deci only gets Crustle, Diggersby, and Empoleon as unique wins. Chesnaught gets the edge for me, albeit not by much! Which one do YOU like better, dear reader?
MEOWSCARADA
Leafage | Night Slash & Frenzy Plantᴸ
Thanks again to the Leafage buff, MeowMix is MUCH better now too! While it struggles badly versus Bug damage (taking double super effective damage), dishing out very heavy damage of its own and widespread neutral coverage with Night Slash allows it to handle things other Grasses can flop against like Empoleon, Magnezone, Tentacruel, and Toedscruel.
DARTRIX
Leafage/Peck | Seed Bomb & Brave Bird
You can again rely on Leafage here, which maintains wins you want your Grass to get like Lapras, Diggersby, and Empoleon, or leverage Peck, now buffed to the same stats as Leafage (3.0 DPT/4.0 EPT) and powering out a different trio of unique wins over Victreebel, Forretress, and even Turtonator! Dartie’s Flying subtyping gives it obvious advantages versus other Grasses (beating Venusaur and Toedscruel, for example) and Bugs like Araquanid, but also opens it up to potential losses other Grasses generally don’t have to worry about like Dedenne, Crustle, Dunspace, and even Azumarill and its Ice Beams. But yes, in formats like this and even in Open play, Dartrix is WELL worth building now!
TORTERRA
Mud Slap | Frenzy Plantᴸ & Stone Edge/Sand Tomb
It’s a Grass, but doesn’t work like one now that it has Mud Slap. Make no mistake… this is a Ground type that gets to sneak in to a format where most Grounds can’t enter. And it makes the most of the opportunity. Its Grass typing still allows it to handle many Waters (some like Kingdra, Lapras, and Samurott are still problematic), while the Ground side buries Electrics and things that rely on Rock damage like Cradily, Magcargo, and Dunsparce, plus neat things like Ferrothorn and Diggersby. Stone Edge is great with shields down (adding on Charjabug and Venusaur), while Sand Tomb REALLY adds up in protracted battles like 2v2 shielding with potential new wins like Gastrodon, Lapras, Kingdra, Quagsire, Toedscruel, Diggersby, and Jellicent.
EMPOLEON
Metal Sound | Hydro Cannonᴸ & Drill Peck
One Water type that definitely doesn’t want to see Torterra coming its way, but otherwise Empoleon is pretty awesome in this meta (just like it’s tearing up Open at the moment!) as Water that can beat most Grasses, conveniently most Dragons, Flyers, Bugs and Poisons (with bonuses like Lapras too) as well as ALL Rock types — all thanks to that Steel subtyping — and all while still holding down much of the standard Water role. What’s not to like?
SAMUROTT & GOLISOPOD
Fury Cutter | Hydro Cannonᴸ & Megahorn
Fury Cutter | Aqua Jet & X-Scissor
Yep, I’m listing them together, because they really fill the exact same role: Water type that operates primarily as a Bug thanks to Fury Cutter and a Bug charge move, with a Water charge move thrown in for coverage. Golisopod is slightly better in 1shield, but falls quite a bit behind Samurott with shields down (Golis vs Sammie) and in 2v2 shielding Golis vs Sammie). Golisopod usually wins the mirror and better outraces Lapras and Ground types (thanks to its resistance to Ground), but otherwise Sammie seems to have a leg up against Fire types (Turtonator especially), Dunsparce, Furret, Empoleon and others.
GYARADOS
Dragon Breath | Aqua Tailᴸ & Crunch
Yep, Gary is actually, truly viable in Great League metas now with the changes to Dragon Breath. Other than wide neutral damage from Breath and Crunch, its biggest advantage is being part Flying, giving it a leg fin up versus things relying on Bug or Ground damage. As much as it pains me to say it, I think it’s mostly passed by Mantine and Pelipper in this role… at least until the next Wing Attack buff.
WHISCASH
Mud Shot | Scald & Mud Bomb
Here I keep talking about these things that hold off Ground damage… but that doesn’t mean that a good ground like Whiscash cannot still do good things. That said, I do need to point out that almost all of its meta wins come where Ground has a clear advantage anyway: Electrics, Fires, Poisons, and Steels make up two thirds of its meta wins, with the only exceptions coming against Dunspace and Crustle (and the advantages versus Rock throwers like them is obvious too), Diggersby and Qusgsire (again, not crazy that a spammy Water/Ground type beats these), and then Jellicent and Azumarill as the only real standouts. Whiscash is VERY good at what you’d expect it to be good at, but don’t ask it to do much that isn’t somewhat obvious.
SWAMPERT
Mud Shot | Hydro Cannonᴸ & Sludge
Kind of the same story here, though Swampert generally struggles more than Whiscash, despite the presence of Sludge looking great here on paper. You can use it, sure, but I have some concerns in this meta, especially when other Mud Boys like Whiscash and Gastrodon are right there.
And really, other Water starts just don’t work all that well, even staples like BLASTOISE and FERALIGATR.
MAGCARGO
Ember/Incinerate | Rock Tomb & Overheat
Particularly with high rank IVs, yes, Ember replaces long-time stalwart Incinerate… at least in this meta, outracing Cradily, Araquanid, Fearow, and Kingdra (while Incinerate compensates only with a unique win versus Magnezone). Mags is, of course, the Fire that roasts not only the Grasses and Bugs you’d expect, but also opposing Fires, with very nice bonuses that include Morpeko, Dedenne, Furret, Drampa, Fearow, and even Kingdra!
SHADOW TYPHLOSION
Ember/Incinerate | Thunder Punch & Blast Burnᴸ
Huh. Maybe Typh wants Ember as well, with which it outraces Dedenne, Oramguru, Furret, Gyarados, and Azumarill that Incinerate cannot (it torches Cradily, Araquanid, and Shadow Victreebel instead).
SHADOW CHARIZARD
Dragon Breathᴸ | Air Cutter & Blast Burnᴸ
Yep, ShadowZard can work here with its new Air Cutter and revamped (Legacy) Dragon Breath. In addition to roasting many Grasse and Bugs, the heavy neutral damage outraces stuff like Lapras, Gastrodon, Diggersby, Gyarados, Kingdra, Turtonator, Samurott and others. It’s frail and far from perfect, but Charizard could do a lot of damage here as one of the top Fires.
TALONFLAME
Peck/Incinerateᴸ | Brave Bird & Fly
If you want to run it, while I think Incinerate will remain the go-to in most formats, in Summer Cup, there’s a strong case for the all-Flying moveset with the new Peck, which beats all the same stuff (except Magnezone) and tacks on Turtonator, Dartrix, Kingdra, and Quagsire. As compared to ShadowZard, Talonflame’s unique wins include Quag, ShadowVic, Furret, Oranguru, and Ninetales, while Zard instead blows over Gary, Lapras, Samurott, Crustle, and Cradily.
SHADOW FEAROW
Peck | Drill Run & Drill Peck
Drill Run to take out key Fire types (and even Lanturn!), and a suddenly impressive Flying moveset that shreds a ton of Grasses and Bugs, of course, but also plenty of extras like Gastrodon, Quagsire, Jellicent (resisting Ghost sure helps!), Samurott, Diggersby, Furret and more.
There’s also Shadow TOUCANNON to consider with its Rock Blast (useful for taking out Fearow and other Flyers!), but honestly it isn’t as good overall, with losses to things Fearow terrorizes like Magcargo, Ninetales, Diggs, and Lanturn. Drill Run > Rock Blast for sure.
EMOLGA
Thunder Shock | Acrobatics & Discharge
The Flyer that obviously shreds other Flyers, while also still taking down most Grasses and Bugs. Beyond that, it’s mostly Waters, not surprisingly, but a win against Drampa and forcing at least a tie versus Furret and Oranguru are nice bonuses.
RAICHU
Thunder Shock | Wild Charge & Trailblaze/Brick Break
I like Original Recipe more than Alolan, as it has the bulk to outlast Gastrodon and the lack of Psychic subtyping allows wins over Bugs that beat AhChu like Forretress and Charjabug (and sometimes things with Dark moves like Furret). It also comes with options, as Trailblaze and Brick Break have pretty equal merit, with the former obviously getting things like Gastro (and Furret) while the latter breaks down Lanturn and Ferrothorn. Brick Break also adds up for more wins in 2v2 shielding, tacking on Oranguru and Shadow Ninetales to everything Trailblaze can do, though Blaze uniquely gets Quagsire with shields down. Which one fits YOUR team composition better?
ALOLAN ROCKS
Volt Switch | Rock Blast & Stone Edge
You might think they’d be a bit too risky here with all the Grasses (and key Ground types too) around, but you’d be wrong. Indeed, nearly all of its meta losses come versus things with Ground damage (Toedscruel, Gastrodon, Stunfisk, Quagsire, Diggersby, Dunsparce) or heavy Grass damage (Venusaur, Victreebel, Ferrothorn, Cradily). Alolan Graveler is slightly better in 2v2 shielding, but Alolan Golem is just much better overall with extra wins against Samurott and Dedenne in 1shield, and Forretress and Oranguru with shields down. And yes, I think Stone Edge is the closer you want here more than Wild Charge (Edge has the edge against things like Turtonator and other Electrics types like Deedee), but that IS somewhat of a personal preference… Wild Charge is far better with shields down, for what that’s worth.
CHARJABUG
Volt Switchᴸ/Bug Bite | X-Scissor & Discharge
Another Electric type with special tricks up its sleeve, in this case Bug damage. It can go Electric-heavy with Volt Switch for big anti-Water wins (Gary, Kingdra, Jelli, Tentacruel) and Victreebel (thanks to higher energy gains), but Bug Bite is a legit option too with wins instead over Venusaur, Toedscruel, Furret, and Dunsparce. I don’t think I like Shadow Charj very much here, though I suppose it’s worth noting that with Bug Bite it can turn the tables on Grounds like Diggersby and Stunfisk (though at the cost of losses like Azu, Empoleon, Samurott, and Fearow).
CRUSTLE
Fury Cutter | Rock Wrecker & X-Scissor
Funny enough, here’s what I wrote about Crustle last time we had Summer Cup:
I think it’s time for Crustle to finally be granted a real, decent Rock-type charge move, because it would be a great option now with one after the Fury Cutter buff.
Well thank you, Team Niantic, for taking the advice! 
Because we DO get Rock Wrecker Crustie now, and yes, it looks pretty amazing, particularly as a Shadow which does drop Dunsparce, ShadowVic, and Fearow, but gains Diggersby, Gastrodon, Tentacruel, Lanturn, and at least a tie with Dedenne to more than make up for it. It wouldn’t be able to get anywhere close without Rock Wrecker.
WORMADAM (TRASH)
Bug Bite/Confusion | Iron Head & Bug Buzz
It’s been a minute since Trashadam was really anything but spice, but it now comes in two flavors of relevancy. If you have really good IVs, roll with Bgu Bite, as high rank IVs can gain Crustle, Dartrix, and Gastrodon over more “standard” IVs, and Confusion doesn’t really improve with better IVs anyway. As for the comps between the two different fast moves, while Confusion is better than ever and gets unique wins like Quagsire and Tentacruel, Bug Bite gets the edge overall with that trio of new wins I mentioned, as well as stuff like Dunsprace, Stunfisk, Araquanid, and Morpeko.
WIGGLYTUFF
Charm | Icy Wind & Swift
Definitely wants no parts of Steels like Trashy, but Wiggly does plenty of good elsewhere, slaying the obvious Dragons (even Turtonator) and things that rely on Dragon or Dark damage, and then overpowering other big names like Toedscruel, Diggersby, Stunfisk, Quagsire, Samurott, Araquanid, Azumarill, Jellicent (that Ghost resistance coming in super handy), Charjabug, Fearow, and Dartrix.
FURRET
Sucker Punch | Swift & Trailblaze
Wiggly may shrug off Furret’s Sucker Punch, but not much else effectively can. Furret brings a ton of high pressure to most of the meta, and while it of course does not always work out, it does more often than not. Furret is a great little generalist with a special knack for taking out Waters (and other key things like Cradily, Diggersby, and Stunfisk) thanks to Trailblaze. But compiling neutral damage does in other things too like Dunsparce, Drampa, Fearow, and ShadowVic too.
DUBWOOL
Double Kick | Body Slam & Payback
Fighting damage is at a bit of a premium here, so yes, Double Kick does notable stuff versus opposing Normal, Ice, and Steel types. Bonuses include stuff like Jellicent (thanks, Payback!), Gyarados, Samurott, Quagsire, Stunfisk, and Charjabug. Another decent and cheap generalist candidate here.
ALOLAN RATICATE
Quick Attack | Crunch & Returnᴾ
Yep, another good generalist. A-Rat’s advantages are in its bulk (higher than the other Normals immediately preceding it above) and handy resistances (Psychic, Ghost, Dark) that generally outweigh the downsides (Fighting and Fairy, which are both pretty rare in this meta, though Bug is more common and Dark types’ biggest negative in Summer Cup).
DIGGERSBY
Quick Attack | Fire Punch & Returnᴾ
So I’m somewhat surprised to say that, no, I don’t think you necessarily need to run with any Ground damage in this meta. In fact, forcing it with Scorching Sands actually hold Diggs back from wins it can otherwise achieve like Gastrodon, Furret, Kingdra, Samurott, Oranguru, Fearow, and the mirror, though without ANY Ground damage, others like Magcargo, Ninetales, and Shadow Empoleon can escape Diggersby’s grasp, so do bear that in mind.
50,000 Dust/50 Candy
CRADILY
Acid/Bullet Seed | Rock Tomb & Grass Knot
Acid or Bullet Seed? Regular or Shadow? Well, that is going to remain somewhat team and playstyle dependent, but here’s what I can tell you. First, the obvious: Acid is better versus Grasses, taking out things Bullet Seed cannot like Dartrix, Ferrothorn, Venusaur, and then either Toedscruel (for ShadowDilly) or Victreebel (non-Shadow Dilly), as well as certain Fires like Ninetales and Turtonator. And it’s probably also no surprise to learn that Bullet Seed is instead better versus Water types, consistently taking out Lapras, Jellicent, Tentacruel, and sometimes even Empoleon that Acid cannot really replicate, at least not in any reliable way. And while Shadow with Acid can recapture a few of those (Lapras and Jelli) and snag a unique win over Furret as well, it does that only by giving away Victreebel, Oranguru, Shadow Kingdra, and Drampa. Meanwhile, Shadow with Bullet Seed is really inferior to non-Shadow, barely outracing Ninetales, but it gives up a lot to do that: Drampa, Kingdra, and Shadow Magnezone (non-Shadow with Bullet Seed is the ONLY variant that wins that particular matchup). Like I said, there’s no easy answer to which version of Cradily is best, but hopefully that helps you decide which is the best for you, dear reader.
VICTREEBEL
Acid/Magical Leafᴸ | Leaf Blade & Sludge Bomb
It’s a little easier here, as I do think Acid is your new frontrunner over Grass fast moves, even though Magical Leaf looks close at first glance, with unique wins versus Jellicent, Lapras, Toedscruel, and Kingdra (while Acid instead dissolves Charjabug, Dartrix, Ferrothorn, Venusaur, Gyarados, and Shadow Kingdra). But it’s actually not even that close, I don’t think, as ShadowVic with Acid captures Lapras, Jelli, Toeds, and Kingdra (all the wins formerly unique to Magical Leaf). The only downside is that going Shadow and shedding bulk means that new losses show up to Charjabug and Dartrix that non-Shadow with Acid can beat, and Diggersby and Morpeko that non-Shadow with either fast move can beat. I think my personal recommendation is Shadow with Acid — it just does the most overall — but there’s room for other options here.
BELLOSSOM
Acid | Leaf Blade & Returnᴾ/Dazzling Gleam
Another Acid user that is admittedly a small step down from ShadowVic, but Dazzling Gleam offers some unique coverage and punchout potential, beating stuff Vic cannot like Morpeko, Charjabug, Furret, and Oranguru… but it lacks the knockout power (or secondary Poison typing) to overcome Ferrothorn, Venusaur, Lapras, Kingdra, Araquanid, or Fearow as Vic can. Fun, viable, but honestly a bit less ideal.
ROSERADE
Poison Sting | Weather Ball (Fire)ᴸ & Leaf Storm
Rose remains criminally underrated, IMO… provided you land that amazing Leaf Storm at the opportune moment. Rose isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, as this IS a flimsy Pokémon that can fall off quite a bit when the baits don’t work out. But the ceiling is so high I have trouble not trying to hype it up. Don’t overlook its awesome potential!
TOEDSCRUEL
Mud Slap | Seed Bomb & Wrap/Earth Power
Obviously a very different Grass here. There’s still plenty of Grass role captured between the typing and the buffed Seed Bomb, with wins like Gastrodon, Jellicent, Quagsire, and Lanturn as you would expect, along with most Electrics. What’s different, of course, is the Ground side, which turns the tables on most Fires, Steels, and even Rocks and Poisons (like Cradily and Victreebel above, as well as others like Venusaur and Toeds’ cousin Tentacruel) that generally terrorize other Grass types. The downsides? Losses like Azumarill, Diggersby, Gyarados, and Lapras that you would help your Grass could deal with. Wrap is probably my second charge move of choice, as it’s a little better in 1shield (beats Kingdra and Shadow Empoleon but loses Ferrothorn) and strictly better in 2shield (+ Ninetales, Turtonator, and Drampa), though Earth Power is solid as well with that Ferrothorn win in 1S, and strictly better with shields down (+ Drampa, Kingdra, Turtonator, and Venusaur).
JUMPLUFF
Fairy Wind | Energy Ball & Acrobaticsᴸ/Aerial Ace
Man, the Aerial Ace nerf really hit Jumpie hard. So hard that I think it favors Acrobatics now, which can beat all the same things except ShadowVic and adds Venusaur, Charjabug, Drampa, Kingdra, and Furret on top of it. But really, Jumpluff is not appreciably better than Dartrix now, with its Fairy Wind giving it nice Dragon wins like Drampa and Kingdra, and the knockout power of Energy Ball shoring up Azumarill, but Dartie gets its own standouts like Turtonator, Victreebel, and Forretress (with Peck) or Empoleon and Lapras (with Leafage) instead. Jumpluff’s day of unquestioned, unparalleled dominance may already be slipping away.
LURANTIS
Fury Cutter/Leafage | Superpower & Leaf Blade
Nothing particularly fancy, just getting the job done. Leafage can again make a major impact here, but honestly, I’d recommend Fury Cutter to add a potential anti-Grass (and Dark and Psychic) role. While it falls slightly behind Leafage in 1shield (dropping Lapras and Gary to gain Oranguru instead), it is Fury Cutter that pulls slightly ahead over time with wins over Venusaur, Cradily, Shadow Kingdra, and Oranguru again in 2shield (as opposed to Leafage which beats Samurott, Crustle, and DIggersby instead).
I’ll take a quick aside to point out GOGOAT which occupies a similar niche (just not quite as well). And may as well toss in other viable-but-just-okay Grasses like SHIINOTIC (great versus Dragons but pretty meh otherwise) and AMOONGUSS (perfectly serviceable, just doesn’t stand out in any huge way). But a couple more very unique Grasses before we move away from Grass entirely….
ABOMASNOW
Leafage/Powder Snow | Weather Ball (Ice) & Energy Ball
Yep, Leafage again, and I do think it represents Aboma’s new default best, finally usurping venerable Powder Snow. I mean, it makes sense, since Leafage is strictly better (same cooldown, same 4.0 EPT, and 0.5 more DPT), relegating Powder to only times when it’s a level of effectiveness higher than Leafage. So while Powder can overcome Flyers like Dartrix and Fearow, Leafage instead shreds the obvious (Lapras, Samurott, and Shadow Kingdra) and the not-so-obvious like Shadow Magnezone. Either way, Aboma maintains its usual role as an anti-Grass AND anti-Water expert that can also target down Dragons, Flyers, Grounds, and Electrics. But look out for Bug, Poison, Rock, and especially double super effective Fire! 
HISUIAN ELECTRODE
Hisuian Electrode
ElectricGrass
Thunder Shock | Swift & Wild Charge
Quite simply, an Electric type operating with added Grass resistances. This makes it absolutely dominant versus Waters as an Electric that resists their Water damage, and good versus other Electrics as it double resists Electric damage. That may not seem like much, but it’s honest work.
BELLIBOLT
Sucker Punch | Parabolic Charge & Zap Cannon
I’m still in a bit of awe that Belli saw zero nerfs this season. It’s not wholly dominant, but it is pretty bonkers. Beats all the big Waters and Flyers you would expect, most opposing Electrics (even Sucker Punch-resistant Dedenne), all fine and good. But then comes the crazy stuff like Magcargo, Ninetales, Drampa, Furret, and even Victreebel and Ferrothorn. As something with ONLY Electric-type charge moves.
DEDENNE
Thunder Shock | Parabolic Charge & Play Rough
The other beneficiary of the slightly busted Parabolic Charge is small but scary indeed, finding about the same amount of success as Belli. The differences mostly come down to their non-Electric damage, with Bellibolt’s accumulating Dark damage from Sucker Punch eventually dooming Ferrothorn, Charjabug, Ninetales, Magcargo, and Victreebel, while Deedee and its Play Rough instead dazzle Kingdra (including Shadow), Morpeko, Dunsparce, Crustle, and even Forretress (Dedenne’s Fairy half resisting Bug damage is a major factor there). Belli pulls slightly ahead in 2v2 shielding due to its plodding fast move damage, while Dedenne is better with shields down thanks to quicker knockout potential with Play Rough. Both can get nasty with a little bit of a head of steam as those Parabolic buffs add up.
TOGEDEMARU
Thunder Shock | Wild Charge & Gyro Ball/Fell Stinger
That Steel typing is sometimes a liability (looking at you, Fire types), but the resistances it brings (particularly to Poison, Grass, and Bug) comes in handy more often than not, leading to some nice and perhaps unexpected wins like Crustle, Drampa, Furret, Forretress, Venusaur, Victreebel and more.
MAGNEZONE
Volt Switch/Metal Sound | Mirror Shot & Wild Charge
Obviously very similar story here, with good and bad news. The good: Magnezone beats all the same meta stuff that Togedemaru does in 1v1 shielding plus Cradily and Ferrothorn. Impressive stuff! But the bad is that it trails Toge otherwise, dropping Charjabug, Drampa, and Cradily with shields down (though beating Ferro and Vic to sort of make up for it), and losing Drampa, Furret, Magcargo, and Venusaur in 2v2 shielding with no compensating new wins. ShadowZone can somewhat make up for this, outslugging Vic and Ferro with shields down (as well as Dedenne, Morpeko, and even Magcargo), and coming out slightly ahead in 2v2 shielding with wins over Charjabug and Dedenne as opposed to Toge’s sole unique win versus Forretress. Get in the Zone?
MORPEKO
Thunder Shock | Aura Wheel & Psychic Fangs/Seed Bomb
Yes yes, it also remains unnerfed (somehow!) and remains an annoying little holy terror. (No, I’m not bovvered at all.) But it’s actually not out of control in Summer Cup. Not only do all major Grounds and nearly all Grasses bury it (Victreebel being the most notable exception thanks to super effective Psychic Fangs), but the list on non-Water (or Flying) wins Morpeko gets is pretty limited: Furret, Oranguru, Crustle, and Ninetales and that’s about it. But as always, contain it early or pretty much forget containing it and that blasted Aura Wheel at all.
LANTURN
Spark | Surf & Thunder
PvPoke is currently stubbornly sticking to Water Gun, but I dunno. I like Spark better myself. Water Gun obviously performs better versus Grounds like Diggersby and Quagsire, Fires like Turtonator, and Electrics like Dedenne, Morpeko, and Magnezone, but Spark is more versatile and impactful with wins instead like Araquanid and Gyarados consistently, and things like Jellicent, Samurott, Kingdra, and Lanturn itself in multiple even shield scenarios.
KINGDRA
Dragon Breath | Swift & Outrage
Swift makes such a huge difference for Kingdra. After practically mocking Kingdra for years, I have to say that it is legitimately scary now. it still has to be wary of certain Grasses (like Venusaur and Victreebel) and Electrics (like Dedenne and Morpeko), as its trying does mean it unfortunately takes neutral from those, and Kingdra DOES still have a (lack of) bulk problem. That also means it tends to lose to other Dragons like Drampa that just outlast it. But much of the meta now falls before it, in regular or Shadow form, which overpowers Fearow, Samurott, Stunfisk, Toedscruel, and even Empoleon, but loses to Charjabug, Araquanid, Gastrodon, and Furret that non-Shadow outlasts.
GASTRODON
Mud Slap | Body Slam & Water Pulse/Earth Power
Body Slam and Water Pulse both got buffed this season, and I think Gastro may want both, as Water Pulse gives a nice leg up versus other Ground types like Diggersby. That said, Earth Power is still excellent too, far outperforming versus oppising Waters like Jellicent and Kingdra across various shield scenarios, and versus Drampa as well. In whatever flavor, Gastro will be a BIG presence in these dog days of Summer.
QUAGSIRE
Mud Shot | Stone Edge & Mud Bomb/Aqua Tailᴸ
And then here I go and advocate for the opposite here: I think Lord Quag may benefit more from the Ground move, Mud Bomb, than it does with the Aqua Tail I usually advocate for. Aqua Tail again takes out Grounds like Diggersby abd sometimes Crustle too, but Mud Bomb goes and buries stuff like Azu, Lanturn, and the mirror (versus Aqua Tail), and Empoelon and Tentacruel specifically with shields down.
Tentacruel
WaterPoison
Toxapex
PoisonWater
Speaking of TENTACRUEL, I have some concerns with the Poisonous Waters that are usually pretty good in this particular meta. Tentacruel faces an uphill battle, as does even big bulky TOXAPEX. There’s just a bit too much Ground, Electric, and even certain Grass in the meta for them to get comfortable. They’re viable, absolutely, but again… I think it’s an uphill battle.
SEAKING
Peck | Icy Windᴸ & Drill Runᴸ
As an example of the relative limitations of Poison in this meta, look at just how much better humble Seaking is with the newly buffed Peck rather than longtime favorite fast move Poison Jab. Yes, Jab still gets a couple unique wins (Water Gun Lanturn and Samurott), but Peck gets eight unique wins versus Cradily, Dartrix, Empoleon, Shadow Kingdra, Lapras, Araquanid, Quagsire, and Diggersby. I wouldn’t necessarily TM Poison Jab away if you’re low on Elite TMs… but I also wouldn’t call you crazy at all if you pull the trigger. This is a great meta for it to start showing off.
JELLICENT
Hex | Surf & Shadow Ball
Love it or hate it, Jellibelli WILL be a part of this format. Summer Cup isn’t a meta where it has too many special things to do, but it’s solid as always, wiping out a ton of fellow Water types and getting some neat wins thanks to its Ghost type resistances, like Bug types Crustle and Forretress.
POLIWRATH
Counterᴸ | Icy Wind & Dynamic Punch
It’s been a minute since Poliwrath was top meta, and while it isn’t ranked like it here either (falling well outside the Top 100)… well, what’s that phrase about how “every good fighter has one last good fight left in him”? Poliwrath’s most glorious of glory days are likely behind it with the seasons-ago nerf of Counter, but it can still put a good fight in the right spot. Summer Cup is one of those spots. Let the champ have his day in the sun.
ARAQUANID
Bug Bite | Bubble Beam & Bug Buzz/Water Pulse
Still nothing fancy here, but ‘Nid is better than ever with buffed Bug Bite and, potentially, cheaper Water Pulse too. I think I still favor Bug Buzz for its ability to sting stuff like Ferrothorn, Lapras, and the mirror, but Water Pulse has the right cost and/or effectiveness to instead wash away Stunfisk, Charjabug, and even Shadow Kingdra despite being double resisted in that last case.
AZUMARILL
Bubble | Ice Beam & Hydro Pump
If there’s one thing I have learned about PvP metas after all these years and hundreds of articles written, it’s this: NEVER count Azu out. If it’s eligible in a meta, it WILL see use, and it WILL wreck the day of unprepared players. Ice Beam/Hydro Pump really seems like its best shot here, with Pump in particular delivering knockout blows to Furret, Gastrodon, and even scary Stunfisk. Its role against Dragon, Fire, and/or Ground types is clear, but it’s wins like Fearow, Dunsparce, Toedscruel, and Dartrix that make it really special. Underestimate Azu at your own peril.
BRUXISH
Confusion | Psychic Fangs & Aqua Tail
There’s some consideration for Crunch, which can chew up Oranguru and sometimes Empoleon, but my recommendation is Aqua Tail alongside the Psychic type moves, as it can drown Crustle, Furret, and Charjabug.
GIRAFARIG
Confusion | Psychic Fangs & Trailblaze
Same kind of flavor here with the same potent Psychic move combo, but a very different typing and very different closer with Trailblaze means a very different set of wins. The obvious: Bruxish is better versus Fire types (beats Turtonator, Ninetales) and certain Waters like Gyarados. But Firafarag is unsurprisingly better against Electrics (+ Stunfisk, Dedenne) and is the one of the two to take down Jellicent thanks to that Trailblazing.
And some spicier Normal options include Shadow URSARING (numbers that would inidicate more than mere spice, but a little hard for me to trust and heartily recommend because… well, it’s flimsy Ursaring), DODRIO (yes, it’s new and fun, but I still can’t really call it anything higher than spice), and DUNSPARCE (still does its thing, but hard to label as full-on meta with this record)… and no, the new DUDUNSPARCE would be no better, sorry!
NINETALES
Emberᴸ | Weather Ball (Fire) & Overheat/Solar Beam
Oh yes, the retooled Ember definitely emerges as the new favorite here. I do think Overheat remains the most ideal closer, despite providing no coverage and coming with a self-nerf after use, because only with that can Ninetales torch stuff like Crustle, Empoleon (as a non-Shadow), and Araquanid (as a Shadow). But if you really want to go for the Solar Beam Hail Mary, Shadow is the ticket… it does drop Crustie, ‘Nid, Empie, Drampa, and others like Dunsparce and Fearow, but can at least turn the tables on Lanturn and Azumarill, so… there’s that!
ALOLAN MAROWAK
Hex/Fire Spin | Bone Club & Shadow Ball/Flame Wheel
Yeah, I think Hex has mostly replaced Fire Spin, though it’s worth noting the latter still has use in burning through stuff like Toesdcruel and Hex-resistant Morpeko and Oranguru, but Hex outraces stuff like Jellicent, Turtonator, Tentacruel, and Shadow Kingdra instead. It’s just a bit more versatile. And while I think Shadow Ball remains your best closer, there is a case to be made for the reworked Flame Wheel at least in the case of Shadow A-Wak where it can torch Forretress, Toesdcruel, and Dartrix (as opposed to Shadow Ball instead terrorizing Jelli, Kingdra, and Crustle). There are several legit options here… good luck!
75,000 Dust/75 Candy
Already deep into overtime, so you know what that means… rapid fire to close things out. Hold on!
- FORRETRESS is better than ever with the Bug Bite buff of last season, but don’t forget about Volt Switch in Water-heavy metas like this one! It has at least a shot at taking down things like Gyarados, Jellicent, Dartrix, and Crustle and the mirror match with Switch, while Bug Bite instead chomps through Cradily, Toesdcruel, Morpeko, and sometimes Quagsire and Stunfisk too. The Golf Ball Of Doom is very scary in Summer Cup!
- Fellow Steel FERROTHORN has a clear favorite closing move here, I think, and it’s not the Thunder you usually see, but instead Flash Cannon, which does miss out on Fearow and sometimes Araquanid, but flexes unique wins instead versus Cradily, Crustle, Victreebel, Drampa, and often the mirror match too!
- And is TREVENANT back?! It just might be with the course correction of Seed Bomb, turning it into the cheap, baity move it always should have been. It’s looking quite spooky again these days… good chance to shake the rust off ahead of Halloween Cup not too long from now.
- Not sure what to do with TOXTRICITY. At first glance, it looks like a monster, but I have concerns. A lot of that relies on Power-Up Punch, and while some of those wins are at least in part because of the Fighting damage it provides (Magnezone, Furret, Cradily, Crustle, Empoleon), the majority are simply because PuP baits out shields and then Tricity crashes in with a KO Wild Charge. You can sort of see this if you sim with Acid Spray instead, which drops off pretty significantly. It’s a bit risky for my blood, but the potential is certainly there if Toxtricity is your jam.
- One thing Tricity (or all Electric types, really) wants to see is STUNFISK, doing its thing as usual. Perhaps the best thing I can note about this well-known commodity is that it DOES manage to overcome Dragons like Kingdra and Turtonator, but not Drampa. Beyond that, you probably know what it wants to face and wants to avoid by now, don’t you?
- Speaking of DRAMPA, just as with Kingdra, the addition of Swift has completely changed its fortunes in PvP. And here, it gets STAB damage too! That means it can outduel Kingdra itself, and Swift also leads directly to wins over a variety of opponents like Gyarados, Fearow, Stunfisk, Samurott, and Victreebel. I think the also-reworked Dragon Pulse is the better closer (at least in this meta) over Fly, as Pulse can punch out Oranguru and, most importantly, Magcargo that resists Swift AND Fly.
- If you have one that works in Great League, you should REALLY enjoy TURTONATOR now, including here in Summer Cup. But there’s a quandary now… new Ember or traditional Incinerate? Both seem good, just a little different, with Ember outracing Samurott and the mirror match, and Incinerate overwhelming threatening Toesdcruel and Araquanid instead. I still kInda lean Incinerate myself, but how about YOU?
- Last one up here is good ol’ LAPRAS. I think Ice Beam (unique wins: Dartrix, Cradily, Qusgsire) or even Dragon Pulse (beats Dragon types Kingdra and Turtonator, as well as the mirror match!) are probably favored over Skull Bash here. If you HAVE those Legacy moves, of course….
And finally, just a single 100,000k Legendary I want to mention, though it’s a VERY good one. I think RAIKOU is still flying under some radars, but the buff it got this season with the addition of the suddenly awesome Aura Sphere is… well, see for yourself! Both the Thunder Shock (outraces Crustle, Magnezone, and Jellicent) and Volt Switch (overpowers Forretress, Furret, and Oranguru) variants are shockingly good here! Don’t overlook it. Do YOU have one you can deploy, dear reader?
And we’re finally done! Very sorry this took an extra day, but I promise you I did my best… and I’m already working on analysis of the coming Community Day and Shadow events!
As always, I hope this helps you balance the cost of where to save yourself some hard-earned dust (and candy!) and put together a competitive and FUN team. If I was successful in that, then it was all worth it.
Until next time, you can always find me on Twitter for regular PvP analysis nuggets, or Patreon. I sincerely hope this helps you master the return of Summer Cup, and in the most affordable way possible. Best of luck, and catch you next time, Pokéfriends!
The post Nifty Or Thrifty PvP: Summer Cup (Tales of Transformation Edition) appeared first on Pokémon GO Hub.
