Tier 8 – Worst
These are the dregs of the Pokemon evolutionary pool. While some weak creatures in Pokemon GO are at least useful when trying to match up types for advantages, this lot should never be considered. Some do end up evolving into something a bit more useful, meaning you should evolve these whenever you get the chance. But unless you’re really adamant about catching ’em all, you should give these Pokemon a wide berth.
- Paras
- Rhyhorn
- Kakuna
- Weedle
- Parasect
- Magikarp
- Caterpie
- Metapod
- Mankey
- Onix
- Ekans
- Machop
- Zubat
- Cubone
- Gastly
- Rhydon
- Hitmonlee
- Pidgey
- Doduo
- Spearow
Tier 7 – A little less awful
While the previous tier was definitely the bottom of the barrel, these creatures in Tier 7 have a bit more utility. For most of them it comes in the form of defense. If you catch one of these at a high CP, they can make excellent fodder for weakening a particularly troublesome Gym defender. Other than that, though, you should never expect much from these Pokemon, no matter how much you’ve powered them up.
- Nidoran (female)
- Pinsir
- Magnemite
- Venonat
- Machoke
- Meowth
- Primeape
- Diglett
- Shellder
- Sandshrew
- Bellsprout
- Rattata
- Beedrill
- Bulbasaur
- Goldeen
- Voltorb
- Krabby
- Drowzee
- Jigglypuff
- Arbok
Tier 6 – Just Okay
Tier 6 is the beginning of the perfect filler for any lineup. None of these Pokemon are extraordinary, and none should have a team built around them. However, They do benefit from some solid typings, with some even falling into the rarer camp. Pokemon like Hitmonchan aren’t especially useful in most situations, but against the likes of Snorlax and Lapras, two of the strongest in Pokemon GO, Hitmonchan can be quite useful to keep up your sleeve. Most of the Pokemon on this tier fall into the same category, useful for very specific circumstances, but not much else.
- Geodude
- Nidoran (male)
- Kabutops
- Horsea
- Oddish
- Kabuto
- Hitmonchan
- Omanyte
- Sandslash
- Butterfree
- Charmander
- Dugtrio
- Grimer
- Ponyta
- Pidgeotto
- Scyther
- Seadra
- Clefairy
- Raticate
- Haunter
Tier 5 – Good
From Tier 5 is when you should start adding Pokemon to your roster. These particular Pokemon can hold you down when taking over Gyms for some time when you first start. Of course, you’ll start replacing these as they evolve or you find much rarer and more powerful monsters in Pokemon GO. Even then, though, these are great for when you need to add some variety to your team’s types.
- Tangela
- Seel
- Fearow
- Nidorina
- Tentacool
- Marowak
- Dratini
- Poliwag
- Electrode
- Porygon
- Staryu
- Jynx
- Golbat
- Koffing
- Likitung
- Persian
- Mr. Mime
- Squirtle
- Exeggcute
- Graveler
Tier 4 – Great
You can’t really go wrong with any Pokemon on Tier 4. These are solid members of any team thanks to aggressive typing and the potential for some really powerful attacks. Chances are that you’ll have at least one of these in a solid team, but you should be aware that several are quite rare. Abra is a touch one to catch, but worth it to fill out a team with powerful Psychic abilities that only grow more potent as you progress. This Tier mostly consists of evolved forms of more of the ‘less useful’ Pokemon available. That’s far from a bad thing, considering a lot of those are the most common in Pokemon GO, so it’s good to finally have a use for them.
- Magneton
- Charmeleon
- Vulpix
- Dodrio
- Kangaskhan
- Weepinbell
- Ivysaur
- Abra
- Nidoking
- Nidorino
- Gloom
- Psyduck
- Dragonair
- Kingler
- Venomoth
- Seaking
- Pikachu
- Pidgeot
- Gengar
- Wigglytuff
Tier 3 – Really Great
Tier 3 is where you’ll first encounter your real keepers in Pokemon GO. This level houses a solid mix of both great offensive Pokemon and solid defensive ones. What helps these Pokemon shine are varied mixes of great resistances. These creatures tend to be much more balanced than others in that regard. You can use that in your favor when trying to build around a team consisting of one the more powerful Pokemon. Providing ways to counter that particular Pokemon’s weakness as you leverage its strength to clear gyms is the best approach.
- Eevee
- Gyarados
- Wartortle
- Cloyster
- Poliwhirl
- Nidoqueen
- Golem
- Electabuzz
- Jolteon
- Rapidash
- Slowpoke
- Magmar
- Growlithe
- Machamp
- Tauros
- Muk
- Raichu
- Aerodactyl
- Tentacruel
- Charizard
Tier 2 – Amazing
Tier 2 consists mostly of rare Pokemon, meaning you won’t come across too many teams consisting solely of members of this club just yet. Only the most dedicated of trainers will have obtained powerful versions of each. Still, in these cases rarity does seem to translate to strength. On top of large HP pools, these are some of the best representatives of each type available in Pokemon GO. The evolved forms of the starters, Dragonite (a very rare Dragon type in this first wave), Ninetales, Weezing, and Exeggutor are some standouts. If balanced properly, a team of Tier 2s can easily take out any Tier 1 Pokemon currently available. The only thing holding this group back is a distribution of weaknesses, but the skilled trainers should not worry.
- Venusaur
- Vileplume
- Blastoise
- Kadabra
- Hypno
- Starmie
- Chansey
- Weezing
- Flareon
- Arcanine
- Dewgong
- Omastar
- Poliwrath
- Ninetales
- Golduck
- Victreebel
- Clefable
- Dragonite
- Exeggutor
Tier 1: 5. Vaporeon
With the mystery of Eevee and its evolutions finally being cracked, players are finally able to get exactly what they wish for once they collect enough Candy. Of course, decision’s aren’t always easy to make so when it came time to choose who to evolve into many players scratched their heads wondering which Eeveelution was best.
It turns out that Vaporeon is ahead of the game when compared to its Fire and Electricity siblings. Thanks to some amazing resistances (which include Fire, Water, Ice, and Steel), powerful attacks such as Aqua Tail, along with a healthy dose of speed and HP, Vaporeon is one of the best Pokemon you can have in the game right now.
Tier 1: 4. Slowbro
Slowbro is a bit silly looking, we’ll give you that. Many players look for form and function, so an odd pink creature with a Shellder attached to its tail isn’t ideal. But one shouldn’t let Slowbro’s vacant expression steer them away, this happens to be one of the absolute best Pokemon in the game. If you manage to obtain a high CP Slowpoke or stumble across one of these already evolved rarities in the wild, be sure to keep it close and power it up. Slowbro is one of an exclusive club that ranks high in both attack and defense in Pokemon GO making it invaluable when it comes to running gyms.
Defense is definitely its shining trait though. It has some common weaknesses in the form of Bug, Grass, and Electric type Pokemon, but it’s large HP pool helps to deal with that. Its resistances are Fighting, Steel, Fire, Water, Psyhic, and Ice, making the most powerful Pokemon in the game nothing more than a nuisance to this pink little monster.
Slowbro isn’t useless on offense though, as it shares a special move with Lapras – Ice Beam. That attack does hell to most Pokemon, allowing players to quickly run through an enemy team. Combining such power with such defense helps to seal many victories.
Tier 1: 3. Alakazam
Alakazam is a very rare Pokemon in Pokemon GO, so that alone makes this one worth coveting. On top of that it only has three weaknesses; Bug, Ghost, and Dark types. Thankfully, Dark doesn’t exist in Pokemon GO just yet and Ghost types aren’t the most common monsters out there. Bug Pokemon may prove to be a problem due to their large availability, but Alakazam’s amazing offense and solid defense will make that a relatively small issue in the grand scheme of things.
If you happen to roll an Alakazam with the moves Psycho Cut and Psychic, you will be sitting pretty. These attacks help players to absolutely demolish the opposition. It’s true that not many are weak against Psychic types, but the sheer brute force of these abilities is more than potent enough to keep you ahead of your challengers.
Tier 1: 2. Snorlax
Snorlax is the big, cuddly, sleeping Pokemon that you can’t help but love. Just look at the huge beast, always seemingly smiling and enjoying a good meal. Behind that smile, though, lies a behemoth. For starters, this Pokemon only has one weakness – Fighting type Pokemon. Those aren’t incredibly common in Pokemon GO. In fact they are among the rarest in the entire game. On top of that, Snorlax is immune to Ghosts, so that’s not too shabby in its own right.
Snorlax does have one slight downside, though, that just edges it out of the top spot. It happens to be a Normal type Pokemon, meaning it isn’t particularly special when it comes to being something’s weakness. But even with that fault, it manages to outclass almost the entire roster available in Pokemon GO. Thanks to Zen Headbutt and Earthquake (a Ground type special that provides some bit of elemental advantage), Snorlax is a damage dealing powerhouse. The added layer of fat translates to a large HP pool and solid defense, so you’re not getting knocked off a Gym so quickly with this Pokemon.
Tier 1: 1. Lapras
Lapras is a Water/Ice type Pokemon that has managed to rank among the top Pokemon in both attack and defense. This creature is only slightly inferior defensively to Snorlax. But Lapras more than makes up for that by being the most powerful Pokemon in all of Pokemon GO thanks to Frost Breath and Ice Beam.
Now, Lapras does have a few weaknesses – Fighting, Rock, Grass, and Electric. Right now, Fighting and Electric aren’t the most common types in Pokemon GO so players who secure one of these with a high CP have that going for them. Grass is common though, so Lapras falls into the same boat as Vaporeon – an issue easily mitigated by proper team balance.
The weakness shouldn’t deter you from using a Lapras as your main though, as it’s very strong against a few very powerful Pokemon. Ice is useful against Dragon, Flying, Grass, and Ground Types. While Dragon is pretty rare, the other three are very common and rank among the best offenders out there. Being able to eat right through them, especially Grass which is one of Lapras’ weaknesses, is very valuable indeed.
About the author
