Shadow Machamp

The July of 2020 Team Rocket Takeover saw the release of Shadow Machamp, bringing the champ back to the absolute top spot of Fighting Types. If you're lucky enough to obtain one with worthwhile stats, it is easily one of the most pervasively powerful Pokemon in the game, combining huge effective attack, outstanding moves, and one of the best offensive typings in the game.

Best PvE Offensive Moveset

• Counter is Machamp’s optimal fast move.

• Karate Chop’s lower power but higher energy gain keep it competitive when paired with Dynamic Punch.

• Dynamic Punch is the superior Fighting-type charge move by a sizable margin.

• Close Combat is viable, but if you need the extra DPS, roll for Dynamic Punch.

• Cross Chop and Submission are basically inferior versions of Dynamic Punch.

• Bullet Punch can pair with Heavy Slam for a budget Steel-type role, but consider other Pokemon instead. 

• Stone Edge and Rock Slide are good moves, but don't suit Machamp's role. 

• Payback is a poor choice for Shadow Machamp on offense.

Best PvE Defensive Moveset

• Bullet Punch and Counter are similar on defense, as Machamp’s counters often resist Counter.

• Dynamic Punch and Heavy Slam end up doing similar damage to most of Machamp’s counters.

• Cross Chop, though weak, is fairly inexpensive to use and a fast damage window that is hard to dodge.

• Stone Edge can catch Flying-types off-guard, but its high energy cost doesn’t work well with Machamp's fragility.

• Close Combat is poor because of its high energy cost, while Submission is both weak and easy to dodge.

• Rock Slide is flexible as a 2-bar move and provides coverage against Machamp's weakness to Flying-types. 

• Payback provides great coverage, but it's not likely to be used due to it being expensive to activate.

Karate Chop* is one of the best fast moves in the game, provides wide relevant coverage, and benefits from STAB. Counter was once Machamp's best option prior to its nerf in September 2024.

Cross Chop costs the least amount of energy, gets STAB, and can be used frequently. Rock Slide or Stone Edge* offers coverage against Flying-type opponents; the former is cheaper but has significantly less DPE than the latter. Machamp can make use of its more powerful Dynamic Punch or Close Combat to deal immense amounts of burst damage, but they are significantly less consistent than Cross Chop. Payback is a move limited to Elite TMs and Community Day events; while it provides strong coverage against Machamp's disadvantages vs Psychic and Ghost Pokemon, its high 60 energy cost discourages its use, especially when shields are available.