Annihilape
PvE Analysis
Pokemon is all about love and partnership with our Pokemon; growing and learning together while going on an adventure. It's the beautiful story of forging bonds, working together, and getting a wild and highly aggressive pig-ape so angry that it literally dies.
When evolving, Primeape becomes Annihilape and gains one of the absolute best offensive dual-typing in the game; Fighting and Ghost. This is a typing that can hit everything in Pokemon Go for at least neutral damage, and has the same record in the main series minus a handful of Pokemon that use shenanigans to escape this horrible fate. However, perfect neutral STAB coverage doesn't really help much when you lack a move that reflects one of your two types, and it also falls behind given the fact that Annihilape doesn't have a great Attack stat, and also doesn't have a single good move to its name minus Counter.
Honestly, at this point Annihilape's only hope for the future is that its Ghost Type Signature Move, Rage Fist, is given really good stats when it drops, and that Annihilape also gets a good Ghost Type Fast Move, like Shadow Claw (which it can learn in the main series). That scenario aside, it's probably best to let Annihilape rest in peace... angry, angry peace.
Best PvE Offensive Moveset
Counter + Close Combat | Best |
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- Counter and Close Combat is easily the best moveset that Annihilape can use on offense.
- Shadow Ball is a great move, but Annihilape has no Fast Move to capitalize on it. Rage Fist* is identical to Shadow Ball in raids.
- Low Kick, Low Sweep, Night Slash, and Ice Punch are all pretty bad for Annihilape.... and objectively mediocre at best.
Best PvE Defensive Moveset
Counter + Night Slash, Ice Punch, Shadow Ball, or Low Sweep | Best |
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- Counter is outright better than Low Kick once again.
- Close Combat takes far too long to use and makes Annihilape easy to wall by anything that resists Fighting Type moves.
- Low Sweep comes out frequently, but it's another move that can leave Annihilape easy to wall.
- Night Slash has counter-coverage some of against Annihilape's counters and comes out frequently, making it a prime choice for defense.
- Ice Punch has a chance to fire once against Rayquaza and Mega Rayquaza, which hardly even view Annihilape as a speed-bump. It's also got good coverage against a number of common gym-cleaners.
- Shadow Ball and Rage Fist* are fairly easy to dodge, but they also boast perfect neutral coverage alongsideCounter, making them very much worth considering.
PvP Analysis
Counter + Rage Fist* + Close Combat |
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Counter remains a solid Fast Move in Pokemon Go PvP, hitting hard and generating decent energy.
Rage Fist, Annihilape's Community Day move, is one of the best Charged Attacks in the game. It provides nearly unresisted damage when combined with Counter, and its low cost, decent DPE, and attack boosts make Annihilape a frightening sweeper. Close Combat is generally preferred for raw power, as Rage Fist already provides coverage. Ice Punch can be used to cover for certain threats. Shadow Ball is an option to provide even more deadly Ghost-type coverage, but Rage Fist + Shadow Ball does make Annihilape entirely reliant on Counter to get past Normal- and Dark-type Pokemon. Night Slash is a good move, but is outclassed entirely by Rage Fist.
Great League | 4.5 / 5 |
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Despite being fairly glassy, Annihilape has a tremendous offensive presence backed up by a STAB combo that no Pokemon in the game can resist. It hits hard, hits often, and can beat down most opponents in short order. When Counter was nerfed at the beginning of Pokemon GO: Max Out, Annihilape fell from being a top meta Pokemon to being barely used at all. However, its Community Day move, Rage Fist, soon returned it into the spotlight, allowing it to terrorize Great League like it once did. It does have some competition with its pre-evolution, Primeape, as Primeape has access to Karate Chop and also has access to Rage Fist. However, Annihilape's slightly higher bulk, STAB on Rage Fist, and natural ability to counter all other Fighting-type Pokemon all set it apart. | |
Ultra League | / 5 |
Annihilape retains its great offensive presence that grants it some key wins against a few big name Ultra League Pokemon, but it also has some key losses, meaning it's going to need to be on the right team to keep up momentum. The overall increased bulk helps Annihilape accumulate Attack buffs from Rage Fist more easily, though it'll also have a tougher time ripping opponents to shreds. Annihilape does the same thing in this league as it does in Great League - being a menacing sweeper and countering other Fighting-type Pokemon. | |
Master League | / 5 |
Annihilape suffers a bit in the Master League due to its relatively low stats when compared to the big-names of the league. It finds its home in the Master Premier Cup, where there are no Legendaries to outstat it heavily. However, in the open Master League, it not only has to contend with having relatively poor stats, it also has to deal with a metagame that is generally hostile to Fighting-type Pokemon. |