Dynamax Tier List Added to Gamepress

Pokemon Go has had a number of Metas over the years; Gym Attackers, Gym Defenders, Raids, Great League, Ultra League, and the Master League being the big ones. However, we're not done yet, as the biggest update to Pokemon Go as of late is Max Battles. For many players, it seems like Max Battles have become the new focus when playing Pokemon Go, so we're proud to announce that we've released a new resource that we hope will be useful when it comes to determining the best options for these raids: our own Dynamax Tier List

Since the Dynamax system is relatively divorced from the normal Raid system, we felt it best to give Dynamax Pokemon their very own tier list. Here's a bit of information on the new tier list, as well as some reasoning behind some of the placements that we've currently chosen:

• Tier list priority primarily takes power, Max Move rarity/utility, and future-proofing into account when it comes to placements.
• We're not including pre-evolutions on the list. Just evolve your Pokemon, and you'll get stronger performance. Pre-evolutions can be okay if you're waiting on an exclusive move, but in general they're not worth rating.
• Since TDO is more important in Max Battles than it tends to be in normal Raids, we consider it a bit more than we do in the normal PvE Tier List, though it's not as much of a factor as the above.

• Gigantamax Pokemon will be included in this tier list once they release, and will likely be given their own Pokemon Pages similar to Mega Evolutions, while Dynamax Pokemon will simply continue to have their ratings added to their basic pages.
• As more Dynamax Pokemon are released and more information is uncovered about Max Battles, expect large changes to this tier list, as the meta is still in its infancy.

Here's a quick breakdown of our initial tier list placements. Note that this is based on the current experience of our writers, as well as reports from outside sources. We know that some placement is definitely debatable, and we don't claim to be the final authority on how these Pokemon should place. However, we do feel that these rankings will generally reflect how useful these Pokemon are right now, as well as at least somewhat reflect what we can expect from the future.

S-Tier

This tier should largely not be much of a surprise, as it contains two staple Pokemon in their own right that have been released to the top of their respective types.

Heading up the tier, Metagross has arguably the strongest performance and future prospects among our current Dynamax Pokemon. It's a top-tier Steel Type with a stellar moveset at the mere cost of an Elite TM, it performs as a great Psychic Type in Max Battles, and it's got a bright future to look forward, most likely. The biggest threats to its placement at the moment are Pokemon like Dialga, Dialga (Origin Forme), Aegislash - Blade. Not even Kartana poses a threat to Metagross at the moment, as it lacks a Steel Type Fast Move to throw out Max Steelspike. And before you ask, Dusk Mane Necrozma isn't worth a huge amount of consideration on this front as it seems unlikely that they'll allow it to Dynamax (but who knows? They might!), or Zacian - Crowned Sword as it cannot Dynamax in the main series. Those aside, Metagross also needs to keep an eye on Copperajah and Melmetal, as they have Gigantamax Formes in the Main Series that have Steel Type G-Max Moves. If they'll dethrone Metagross or not will largely depend on just how strong G-Max Moves turn out to be in the near future!

For Gengar, we have another top contender due to just how great everyone's favorite Generation 1 Final Evolution Ghost is. It's always been known for its high DPS, and the fact that the non-Mega/Shadow variant has its chance to shine for the first time in a very long time is genuinely great. However, Gengar has to be careful due to its relatively low TDO, and it also worry about competing with itself in the future, as Gigantamax Gengar does exist, and is arguably the biggest threat to Gengar's supremacy in the future. That aside, the other Dynamax Pokemon to watch out for are Blacephalon, Chandelure, Flutter Mane (if Paradox Pokemon are able to Dynamax), Spectrier, and Dragapult. Calyrex - Shadow Rider is also very much worth mentioning, as it has its own unique (and entirely unexplained) blue-toned Dynamax effect in the main series, but as of right now it doesn't have a Ghost Type Fast Move to worry about.

A+ Tier

This may as well be the Starter tier, as it's jam-packed with Galar starters + Charizard! All of these Pokemon pose a real threat, with Rillaboom, Inteleon, and Cinderace sitting at the forefront of the current Grass, Water, and Fire metas due to their higher Attack stats allowing for fantastic Max Move damage. However, their positions are already at risk the announcement of the Gigantamax Kanto starters, and their own Gigantamax formes looming in the future, not to mention the current raid-meta titans of each of their types just waiting for their turn to Dynamax as well. These are all strong Pokemon, but they're all basically sitting in the exact same position right now; great, but destined to be overthrown, if only by themselves.

Charizard, meanwhile, gets additional consideration over the remaining Kanto starters due to its diverse Fast Move set, giving it access to Max Flare, Max Airstream, and Max Wyrmwind, making it very flexible in a meta with such a small number of options available currently.

A Tier

And here are the rest of the Kanto starters! As seems to always be the case for these two, they're definitely fine but also outclassed.... and once again destined to be outclassed by their own Gigantmax formes soon, most likely!

And then we have Toxtricity! This thing has some real utility right now as its Max Lightning can take down Flying and Water, two of the most common types in Pokemon as a whole, while Max Overgrowth can drop Fairy Types or Grass Types... which are better handled by Metagross and either of the Fire Type starters right now, truth be told. Honestly, Toxtricity's a bit weak right now due to the fact that it is, once again, staring down the existence of stronger Electric and Poison Types, as well as its own Gigantamax forme. Still, it'll definitely be good if we get some Flying Type Max Battles in the near future!

B+ Tier

Welcome to the Falinks tier! Where Falinks comes to be Falinks!

Honestly, Falinks is pretty underwhelming, but its ability to act as a Fighting Type Dynamax Pokemon gives it a potentially strong niche right now, depending on what we have on the near horizon. Note that it is guaranteed to be outclassed by pretty much any even slightly note-worthy Fighting Type Dynamax in the future, but for now it can hold the line.

B Tier

Honestly, the only reason that Greedent is in this tier instead of C is due to its more diverse pool of Max Moves. It's not great, but it can be useful when starting out.

C Tier

Dubwool is the Dynamax starter, and that's about it. It can help get you started, but it won't hold its position as "good" for very long most of the time.

Closing

In the end, expect this list to shift with every new Dynamax/Gigantamax Pokemon released, but we feel that this is a good starting point for where we are right now. Hopefully this list will make investment priorities a bit easier, and hopefully it helps out next time a Dynamax Raid shows up nearby!