How to Build a Great League Team in Pokémon GO

To build a Great League team in Pokémon GO, pick three Pokémon of different species that are each at 1,500 CP or less, choose types that cover each other’s weaknesses, and save them as a battle party. To save the party, tap the Main Menu button (the Poké Ball), tap Battle, and open the Party tab. The rest of this guide explains how to choose the three Pokémon, how to get them ready without going over the limit, and how to check that the team works before you play ranked matches.

What the Great League is and what you need

The Great League is one of three leagues used for Trainer Battles, which are three-against-three battles between players. Each league limits Combat Power (CP), the number shown above every Pokémon that indicates how well it will perform in battle. Niantic, the company behind the game, lists the limits in its help article Battling Other Trainers.

League	CP limit per Pokémon	How it unlocks
Great League	1,500	Available from the start
Ultra League	2,500	Own at least 3 Pokémon above 1,500 CP
Master League	No limit	Own at least 3 Pokémon above 2,500 CP

Before you start, check these points:

• Device: the steps are the same in the Pokémon GO app on iPhone and Android. Buttons can move a little between app updates, so go by the labels.
• Trainer level: GO Battle League, the ranked mode that matches you with players around the world, is only available at Trainer Level 10 and above. The Battle button in the Main Menu also appears at Level 10.
• Three eligible Pokémon: each one must be at or under 1,500 CP. A Pokémon at exactly 1,500 CP is allowed. One at 1,501 CP is not.
• Three different species: Niantic says you cannot use two or more of the same species in a GO Battle League party.
• Child accounts: Niantic notes that a parent or guardian may need to turn on multiplayer features before a child account can battle other Trainers.

How to pick your three Pokémon

There is no single best Great League team. The strongest picks shift when a new season starts or when Niantic changes attacks. What stays the same is the method: choose three Pokémon that do different jobs and do not all lose to the same type.

Give each Pokémon a job

Players commonly describe a team by the order the Pokémon are used. These names come from the player community, not from the game’s menus, but they are a useful way to plan.

• Lead: the Pokémon you send out first. Choose one that holds up against many different opponents, because you do not know what the other Trainer will open with.
• Switch: the Pokémon you bring in when your lead is in a bad matchup. It should handle the types that threaten your lead.
• Closer: the Pokémon you save for the end. A sturdy Pokémon with a hard-hitting Charged Attack works well here, because your opponent may have no Protect Shields left by then.

Cover each other’s weaknesses

Every Pokémon and every attack has a type, such as Water, Grass, or Steel. Niantic’s Type Effectiveness in Battle article includes the full type chart and recommends designing battle parties with a combination of types. Use it like this:

• Look up each Pokémon’s weaknesses. Niantic’s own example is a Grass type, which is weak against Flying, Poison, Bug, Fire, and Ice attacks.
• Avoid a shared weakness. If two of your three Pokémon are weak to the same type, one opposing Pokémon can beat most of your team.
• Add an answer. For each weakness on your lead, try to have a teammate that resists that type or hits it hard.
• Watch dual types. A Pokémon with two types can be extra weak to an attack that is strong against both, or extra resistant to an attack that is weak against both.

Choose Pokémon that sit close to the cap

A Pokémon far below 1,500 CP is allowed, but it will usually be at a disadvantage against one that is near the limit. Look for Pokémon you can bring close to 1,500 CP without passing it. To find candidates quickly, open your Pokémon list, tap the magnifying glass, and type a CP range such as cp1300-1500. Niantic’s search guide confirms that typing CP followed by a number or range filters the list.

Community battle guides also say that Pokémon with a lower Attack rating and higher Defense and HP ratings tend to do better under a CP cap. Niantic’s help pages do not confirm this, so treat it as a tip rather than a rule. You can see those ratings by opening a Pokémon, tapping the menu button, and tapping Appraise.

Get each Pokémon battle-ready without passing 1,500 CP

Warning: powering up and evolving both raise CP, and Niantic’s help pages do not describe any way to lower a Pokémon’s CP afterward. A Pokémon that goes over 1,500 CP can no longer be used in the Great League. Stardust and Candy that you spend are also gone. Go slowly when you are close to the limit.

1. Evolve first, if you plan to evolve. Niantic says evolved Pokémon generally have higher CP, so an evolution can push a Pokémon past the cap by itself. Evolving before you power up shows you the real starting number.
2. Open the Pokémon’s summary. Tap the Main Menu button, tap Pokémon, and select the Pokémon.
3. Tap Power Up. The Stardust and Candy cost is shown next to the button. Niantic notes that after tapping Power Up you can use the plus button to power up several times at once, so add one step at a time and watch the CP number before you confirm.
4. Stop at or just under 1,500 CP. If the next Power Up would go over, leave the Pokémon where it is.
5. Consider a second Charged Attack. On the summary page, New Attack teaches a second Charged Attack in exchange for Stardust and Candy. Two Charged Attacks of different types give a Pokémon more ways to deal with a bad matchup.
6. Review the attacks. A Fast TM or Charged TM replaces an attack with a random different one. An Elite Fast TM or Elite Charged TM lets you choose the attack. Niantic explains both in Fast Attacks & Charged Attacks.

When you compare Charged Attacks, look at the bars next to each one. Niantic explains that one long bar means the attack needs a lot of energy, while several smaller bars mean it needs less energy and can be used more often. Its tip is to balance a weaker attack you can use often with a stronger one that takes longer to charge.

Save the team as a battle party

A battle party is a saved group of Pokémon that you can select quickly before a battle. Saving your Great League team means you do not have to pick the same three Pokémon every time.

1. From the map, tap the Main Menu button, which is the Poké Ball at the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap Battle. If your account is below Level 10, tap Pokémon instead.
3. Tap the Party tab at the top of the screen.
4. Create a new party for the Great League and add your three Pokémon. Our guide on how to create a battle party in Pokémon GO walks through this screen in detail.
5. When you join a Great League battle, swipe left over the recommended or previously used party to select your saved one.

These menu paths come from Niantic’s Creating Battle Parties article. To change the team later, return to the Party tab and edit the party. Editing or removing a party does not affect the Pokémon themselves.

Test the team before you play ranked matches

Practice battles let you find weak spots without risking your GO Battle League rank. Niantic states that only matches made by the GO Battle League matching system influence your rank. Battles against Team Leaders, friends, and nearby Trainers do not.

• Team Leaders: tap Main Menu, tap Battle, scroll to Training, and tap Blanche, Candela, or Spark. Niantic says your Pokémon take no damage in training, so you can repeat it as often as you like. Rewards are given once per day.
• Friends: open your Trainer Profile, tap the Friends tab, select a friend, tap the Battle icon, and tap Let’s Battle! If friends cannot challenge you, check that battle challenges with friends are turned on. To add a practice partner, find and share your Pokémon GO Trainer Code.
• Nearby Trainers: tap Main Menu, tap Battle, and scroll to Nearby Battle to show a Battle Code that the other player scans.

After a few practice battles, ask two questions. Did one type beat more than one of your Pokémon? Did one of your Pokémon rarely get to use a Charged Attack? If the answer to either is yes, swap that Pokémon or change its attacks, then test again.

Use the team in GO Battle League

GO Battle League is where the team counts toward your rank and rewards. Keep these rules from Niantic’s GO Battle League page in mind:

• Leagues rotate. Niantic says a season typically moves through Great, Ultra, and Master League battles. If the Great League is not offered today, check the Battle screen to see which leagues are open and when the current season ends.
• Leaving counts as a loss. Intentionally exiting a match is an automatic loss for that match. Start a set only when you have a stable connection and a few free minutes.
• Rewards depend on wins. Each win in a set unlocks a reward. Before a set you choose Basic Rewards or Premium Rewards, and Premium Rewards require a Premium Battle Pass.
• Ranks do not drop. Once you reach a new rank, you cannot fall below it for the rest of the season.

In the battle itself, tap the screen to use your Fast Attack, tap the Charged Attack button when it fills, and use a Protect Shield when your opponent fires a Charged Attack. Shields are limited, so do not spend them all on the first Pokémon. To switch, tap one of your other Pokémon on the right side of the screen. Your opponent can keep attacking while you switch.

Troubleshooting

A Pokémon does not appear when I build the party

Check its CP first. Anything above 1,500 CP is not eligible for the Great League. Also check that you are not trying to add a second Pokémon of the same species, which GO Battle League does not allow.

I do not see the Battle button

The Battle button in the Main Menu is for accounts at Level 10 or above. Below Level 10, create parties from Main Menu > Pokémon > Party, and start Battle Training from the Nearby menu on the map by tapping its Battle tab.

The Power Up button will not work

You need enough Stardust and enough Candy for that Pokémon’s family. Niantic also says how far you can power up a Pokémon is limited by your current Trainer level.

My Pokémon went over 1,500 CP

It can no longer be used in the Great League. It may still be useful in the Ultra League, which allows up to 2,500 CP. For the Great League, you will need another Pokémon of that species that is still under the cap.

Battles freeze or my attacks are delayed

Niantic’s troubleshooting page says lag in GO Battle League most often comes from a weak or inconsistent connection. Try switching between Wi-Fi and cellular data to see which is steadier, and stay in one place while you battle. Lag is not a sign that your team is built wrong.

Frequently asked questions

What CP should a Great League Pokémon be?

Any CP up to and including 1,500 is allowed in the Great League. Most players aim to get each Pokémon as close to 1,500 CP as they can without going over, because a Pokémon well under the cap is usually weaker than its opponents.

Can I use two of the same Pokémon on a Great League team?

Not in GO Battle League. Niantic’s rules say you cannot use two or more of the same species of Pokémon in a GO Battle League party, so every Great League team for ranked play needs three different species.

What is the best Great League team in Pokémon GO?

There is no permanent best team. The strongest Great League Pokémon change with each GO Battle League season and with attack updates. A team with a lead, a switch, and a closer whose types cover each other’s weaknesses stays useful through those changes, and you can swap individual Pokémon as the season develops.

Can I lower a Pokémon’s CP to make it fit the Great League?

Niantic’s help pages describe ways to raise CP, which are powering up and evolving, but none to reduce it. Plan on using a different Pokémon of the same species that is still at or under 1,500 CP.

Do I need a second Charged Attack for the Great League?

No, it is optional. Every Pokémon has one Fast Attack and one Charged Attack by default. A second Charged Attack costs Stardust and Candy and gives the Pokémon another attack type to use, which helps in the Great League when the first attack is not effective against an opponent.

How do I keep track of my Great League Pokémon?

You can rename a Pokémon in Pokémon GO with a short label such as GL, or create a tag for them. Tags are available at Trainer Level 15 and above from the Tags header in your Pokémon list. Either method makes your Great League picks easy to find later.

Where can I see how many Great League battles I have won?

Your Trainer Profile tracks battle wins through medals, including the Great League Veteran medal for wins against friends and nearby Trainers. See where to find how many battles you have won in Pokémon GO for the steps.

Next step

Save your three Pokémon as a party, play a few training battles against a Team Leader, and adjust the team before your first ranked set. When you want a different kind of fight, Team GO Rocket Leaders only appear with a radar equipped, so see how to equip or unequip a Rocket Radar in Pokémon GO.