Best Pokemon in Legends Z-A’s Season 4 ranked battles
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s online metagame has changed quite a bit now that the Mega Dimension DLC has arrived. And at the time of writing, Season 4 of Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s ranked battles ends on January 7. Season 5 will allow sub-Legendary Pokemon and Mythical Pokemon for the first time, which means the Swords of Justice and Magearna will be allowed. Thankfully, almost all of the Pokemon on this list will still be viable in Season 5 – the best Pokemon in the game tend to run Earthquake as a coverage move, which will hit Magearna, Volcanion, and Melmetal for super-effective damage. You can also expect Magearna and Melmetal to become some of the strongest Pokemon in the game as soon as they’re allowed in. For now, though, here are powerful Pokemon you can prepare for both Season 4 and Season 5.
Garchomp
With a great Dragon/Ground-typing, high HP, and high Attack, Garchomp comes out on top as the best Pokemon to use this season. Just about every match will include at least one Garchomp, and I’ve seen tons of matches where all four trainers are using Garchomp at the same time. Garchomp always runs Dragon Rush, Earthquake or Dig, and Swords Dance, and the idea is to use Swords Dance from afar and rush in and attack with Dragon Rush. Dragon Rush tracks the opponent’s position even as they’re moving, which means it can even hit enemies trying to run away. That’s why it’s used over Outrage or Dragon Claw. The fourth move is up to you – Dragon Claw helps you win against other Garchomp. This Pokemon almost always runs Focus Sash as its item, so to be able to chain Dragon Rush into Dragon Claw will help you pick off opposing Garchomp with ease. You could also run Iron Tail for Fairy types or Thunder Fang for Gyarados.
Again, Garchomp pretty much exclusively runs Focus Sash or Yache Berry. Focus Sash lets Garchomp survive any hit, whereas Yache Berry only reduces the damage of super-effective Ice-type moves, which makes it the superior pick. Some people opt to go for Mega Garchomp (Z isn’t available right now), but if you do that, you will often be one-hit KO’d by opposing Garchomp after they’ve boosted up. So Focus Sash is definitely the way to go. While you’re at it, use 252 EVs in HP and Attack and an Adamant nature. Don’t forget to Hyper Train!
Baxcalibur
You probably shouldn’t run Baxcalibur and Garchomp on the same team, because they fulfill similar roles. There’s not much flexibility in Baxcalibur’s moveset: they run Swords Dance, Icicle Crash, Glaive Rush, and Earthquake. Glaive Rush has a big hitbox, and even though it leaves Baxcalibur vulnerable for a moment at the end, its huge damage potential is still well worth it. Baxcalibur generally runs either Focus Sash or its corresponding Mega Stone. Ironically, Baxcalibur will live for much longer if it’s got a Focus Sash, whereas if you go for the Mega, you’ll be focused more on raw power instead. Baxcalibur also runs 252 EVs in HP and Attack as well as an Adamant nature. Baxcalibur is lacking in good Ice-type moves. You could technically run Freeze-Dry, but it’s very weak without the Mega. Ice Hammer’s hitbox is pitifully small, leaving Icicle Crash as the only somewhat decent Ice move it has. Still, Icicle Crash is very easy to avoid, as the opponent just needs to run away. Try to sneak up on enemies if you’re going to attack with Icicle Crash.
Armarouge
Armarouge is one of the best Pokemon in the format. It runs Focus Sash, a Modest nature, 252 EVs in HP and Sp. Attack, and the moves Armor Cannon, Meteor Beam, and Solar Beam. For the fourth move, you can do something like Aura Sphere, Focus Blast, Dragon Pulse, or Shadow Ball. When trainers use Armarouge, they immediately go for Meteor Beam. It’s a Rock-type special move with a gigantic hitbox that also raises Armarouge’s Sp. Attack. After it gets the boost, it can attack with Armor Cannon and Solar Beam to get rid of everyone else on the field. This is a very strong Pokemon thanks to its big hitboxes, and you can actually fire off Solar Beam and Meteor Beam instantly via Plus Moves without having to wait for the charge time.
Ampharos
Ampharos has always been good in Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s ranked battles, and it remains viable in Season 4. You’ll usually see it run Shuca Berry, Life Orb, or Expert Belt, along with 252 EVs in HP and Sp. Attack and a Modest nature. It can run Meteor Beam to increase its Sp. Attack, Reflect or Light Screen to boost its team’s defenses, and most notably, Charge. Charge is a move that’s pretty much useless in main series games, but very good in this game. It increases Ampharos’ Sp. Defense and also boosts the power of its next Electric-type move, which makes Thunderbolt reach nuclear levels of strength. Of course, Ampharos isn’t very strong against Ground-types, but its Thunderbolt is so powerful and it has so much versatility in terms of what moves it can run. When using Ampharos, send it out, click Meteor Beam (as a Plus Move if possible), then Charge, and then pick any opponent of your choosing to KO with Thunderbolt.
Porygon-Z
This is another Pokemon that razes the battlefield with its powerful beam moves. Porygon-Z runs Life Orb alongside a Modest nature and 252 EVs in HP and Sp. Attack. For moves, it always runs Nasty Plot, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, and then either Tri Attack or Hyper Beam. Tri Attack hits opponents three times at a high base damage, and it has a chance of burning, paralyzing, or freezing the enemy. Hyper Beam, on the other hand, is actually insane – it has a big hitbox and I’ve had many games where a Nasty Plot-boosted Hyper Beam knocks out every other opponent on the field all at once. Porygon-Z is easy to pick off with Fighting-type moves – you might think running a Focus Sash would be good, but it really appreciates Life Orb’s power boost. Just put a Ghost-type on your team to switch into if you see a Gallade running towards your Porygon-Z.
Gholdengo
While Gholdengo doesn’t have its signature Good as Gold ability in this game, it’s still a great choice. Gholdengo runs a Life Orb or Shuca Berry, with 252 EVs in HP and Sp. Attack and a Modest nature. For moves, it usually picks Nasty Plot, Shadow Ball, Make It Rain, and Thunderbolt. You could also go with Steel Beam over Make It Rain if you’d rather lose HP than get a Sp. Attack drop. Gholdengo also runs really fast in the overworld (this is separate from its Speed stat), which means you can easily have it flee enemy Earthquakes if you’re quick enough to react.
Sirfetch’d
You’re probably surprised to see Sirfetch’d here! It does one thing, but it does that one thing really well: Meteor Assault. Sirfetch’d only ever uses the Leek as its item. And from here on out, the EVs for each Pokemon are as follows: you always run 252 HP EVs no matter what, and then whichever offensive stat you’re using. In Sirfetch’d case, it’s Attack. It can use Swords Dance and Focus Energy to make sure Meteor Assault is a one-hit KO on everything except Ghost-type Pokemon. For the last move, you can put Night Slash, because it hits those Ghost-type Pokemon and also has a high critical hit rate.
Mega Skarmory
Mega Skarmory and Mega Absol Z are two of the strongest Mega Evolutions. While we’re at it, you may have noticed that many of the Pokemon on this list do have Mega Evolutions, but our item recommendations are for other things instead. Indeed, something like a Focus Sash usually works out better if the base Pokemon is already strong. When you Mega Evolve a Pokemon in battle, you gain a brief moment of invincibility, which means any attack coming your way will deal no damage. As a result, we’d recommend sending out your Pokemon and approaching an opponent. They’ll likely try to use a super-effective attack, which is the key moment to Mega Evolve and strike back. Skarmory runs an Adamant nature and its corresponding Mega Stone, and the moves Magnet Bomb, Brave Bird, Drill Run, and Swords Dance. Magnet Bomb is an incredibly strong Steel-type move that deals lots of damage and chases opponents, which is part of what makes Mega Skarmory so strong. Upon Mega Evolving, Skarmory gains extra points in Attack and Speed while still having decent defenses. It serves as a glass cannon of sorts that strikes enemies with powerful moves until it goes down to Brave Bird recoil or an incoming attack.
Mega Absol Z
Mega Absol Z usually runs Swords Dance, Phantom Force, Play Rough, and Close Combat. It’s another glass cannon-type Mega that can deal tons of damage all at once. You don’t need to run a Dark-type move because Ghost already hits opposing Psychic and Ghost types. Z Mega Evolutions don’t last as long as normal, but given how many Pokemon faint during a single round of ranked battles, this drawback doesn’t really matter.
Marowak
Rounding off this list, we have Marowak. Imagine this: you’re playing Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and all of a sudden, a giant, slow-moving bone starts spinning towards you. “I can definitely survive this attack”, you think to yourself. And then you spot a second bone, they both hit you, and your Pokemon immediately goes down. This is how Marowak plays – it runs the Thick Club item, which doubles its Attack stat, and the moves Swords Dance, Dig, Bonemerang, and Stone Edge. Bonemerang is comically powerful, and absolutely shreds anything that doesn’t resist it. Even then, expect it to do big damage. Alolan Marowak is good too, but since it’s not a Ground-type, it doesn’t get the same-type attack bonus on Bonemerang.
There are some honorable mentions here too, like Swampert, Chandelure, Excadrill, and the combination of Dondozo and Tatsugiri. There are plenty of viable Pokemon this season, and that number will only increase in Season 5. We’ll be back with a guide that includes more viable Pokemon and movesets for Season 5, so stay tuned for that.
