Best team for the Master League in Pokemon GO

The Master League is the pinnacle of the Pokemon GO Battle League, giving Trainers a battleground to show off their most powerful teams with no rules or restrictions.

While the Great League and Ultra League have CP limitations to keep a more level playing field, the Master League is where Pokemon can run wild with no limits on their power. This means Legendaries and pseudo-Legendaries are the most popular picks, so it's no place for beginners.

Best team for the Master League

One of the best teams you can use for the Master League is Origin Forme Dialga, Mewtwo, and Kyogre.

While there are constant shifts in the meta thanks to seasonal attack buffs and nerfs, move availability changes, and new Pokemon making their debuts, this trio is consistently great in the Master League with coverage options for most opponents you'll come up against.

Another solid option would be Giratina (Origin Forme), Zacian, and Xerneas. Dragon-types dominate the Master League, so having two Fairy-type Legendaries on your team is certainly going to come in handy, while Giratina can deal with Psychic-type Pokemon like Mewtwo and Lugia.

Regardless of which Pokemon you end up using on your team, they'll need to be powered up as high as possible and taught their optimal movesets to reach their full potential. This is a major reason why the Master League is deemed inaccessible for many Trainers, both new and veteran.

While the Great League and Ultra League have loads of options and spicy picks, the Master League is heavily skewed towards Legendaries. The lack of a CP limit also means only the best, most powerful Pokemon have a chance of winning - something that costs a lot of time and resources.

For this reason, I'd usually recommend people stick to the Great League and the Ultra League. They're just more fun! But if you feel ready to take on the Master League, you can see some of the top choices and their optimal movesets below.

Best Pokemon for the Master League

Origin Forme Palkia

The recent debut of Origin Forme Palkia in Pokemon GO Tour: Sinnoh was one of the biggest shakeups the Master League has seen in a long while, as this powerful Legendary has shot straight to the top of the meta.

This is largely thanks to its stats, with Attack and Defense getting a nice boost over its regular form, as well as its signature attack Spacial Rend. This powerful Charged Move can be paired with the Fast Move Dragon Tail for massive Dragon-type damage, while Aqua Tail provides a cheap secondary attack for baiting shields.

If you haven't been able to get an Origin Forme Palkia that knows Spacial Rend, you can swap this Charged Move out for Draco Meteor. While it does cost more Energy and comes with a guaranteed Attack self-debuff, it's still better than any of Palkia's other options.

Origin Forme Dialga

Dialga has long been a top player in the Master League, with its dual Dragon/Steel typing giving it a massive 10 type resistances and - most importantly - putting it in the unique position of being a Dragon-type Pokemon that's not weak to Dragon-type attacks or Fairy-type attacks.

With the arrival of Origin Forme Dialga, though, it's finally been ousted by... itself? This is mostly due to its signature Charged Move Roar of Time, which deals the same damage as Draco Meteor but without the risky self-debuff. Combine this with Dragon Breath and Iron Head and you've got yourself an absolute menace.

If you weren't lucky enough to get an Origin Forme Dialga that knows Roar of Time during Pokemon GO Tour: Sinnoh, swap it out for Draco Meteor - just watch out for that self-debuff I mentioned.

Mewtwo

Mewtwo is the closest thing to an all-rounder that exists in the Master League, with lots of coverage options and only three uncommon weaknesses to watch out for, meaning it can slot nicely into pretty much any team. It might not have the best bulk, but its ridiculous Attack stat makes up for it.

I'd recommend going with Psycho Cut, Psystrike, and Shadow Ball as Mewtwo's moveset, but one of the great things about this Legendary is the wide range of Charged Moves it has access to. This means you can customize it to suit your team's weak points, whether that's Ice Beam, Focus Blast, or even Thunderbolt.

Kyogre

Kyogre is one of the most popular Legendaries of all time, and it lives up to that legacy in the Master League where it can wash away popular opponents like Metagross, Mewtwo, and Zacian with high Attack stat and a great moveset that plays up to its strengths.

Waterfall is Kyogre's only Fast Move, but you've got a little more choice when it comes to Charged Moves. The general consensus is to go with Surf and Blizzard - the former for spamming or baiting shields with its lower energy cost, and Blizzard for extra coverage over Dragons and Ground-types like Groudon.

Origin Forme Giratina

The fearsome Giratina can run riot in both its forms, but it's generally agreed upon that Origin Forme Giratina is the superior choice for the Master League. It trades a chunk of its Defense stat for a higher Attack stat, which makes it perfect for this unrestricted meta. 

You'll want to run Shadow Claw, Shadow Ball, and Ominous Wind, all of which capitalise on Giratina's place as Pokemon GO's premier Ghost-type. If you're worried about the lack of coverage options here, you can always switch Ominous Wind for Dragon Pulse.

Zygarde (Complete Forme)

I've left this one until last, as the chances of anyone having a Complete Forme version of Zygarde are very slim - you'll need to collect a whopping 250 Zygarde Cells to get here. But if you do have one, you're in an excellent position to take the Master League by storm. It's currently sitting at the top of PvPoke's rankings.

With a ridiculous amount of bulk and key wins over the likes of Giratina, Zacian, Mewtwo, and Garchomp, Zygarde is 100% the one to watch out for at the moment, even if it is still a pretty rare occurrence. Dragon Tail, Crunch and Earthquake are Zygarde's optimal moves in this league.

When does the Master League run?

The Master League will appear in the GO Battle League from March 15, 2024, at 1PM PT / 4PM ET / 9PM GMT until March 29, 2024, at 1PM PT / 4PM ET / 9PM GMT.

It will appear with the Spring Cup in its first week, before running alongside the traditional Great League and Ultra League in its second week, so there are plenty of opportunities for Trainers of all levels to get involved.

That's everything you need to know about the Master League! While you're here, visit our Pokemon homepage for more guides like the latest promo codes, upcoming Spotlight Hours, and current Raid Bosses.