Best Pokemon GO Retro Cup Teams

Just in case players get overconfident in their PvP strategy, the Pokemon GO Battle League likes to mix things up. The latest special cup with its own set of rules to challenge you to change up your team is the Retro Cup, and you’ll need the best Pokemon GO team to win.

Retro Cup Rules for Pokemon GO: Max Out Season

In the Retro Cup, players are only allowed to use the original Pokemon types from Gen 1. Newly added types, including Dark, Steel, and Fairy-type, are not eligible for the cup. As with standard Great League rules, CP is capped at 1500.

The Max Out Season Retro Cup runs from November 19-November 26, 2024. During this time, players should prepare to bring their best Pokemon to the battlefield.

Best Retro Cup Teams for Pokemon GO

In the Retro Cup, players can lean into using their favorite Pokemon that might normally be at a disadvantage against the banned types of Dark, Fairy, and Steel. That means Fighting, Ghost, Ice, and Rock types have one less disadvantage to worry about.

That said, anything else goes, so you’ll want to build a mixed team to prepare for any of the original types.

How to Build a Strong Retro Cup Team

Since the Retro Cup only excludes a few types, many of the usual PvP considerations still apply. You want a team that includes Pokemon with solid attacks and defense, preferably a mix so you can hold strong once those shields run out but beat down your opponent before they claim the win.

So, building a team for the Retro Cup isn’t too dissimilar to what you’d do for a standard League match, save for the type exceptions. Look for your highest-stat Pokemon and consider a strategy that plays to their strengths while filling in for any weaknesses.

It’s also worth considering what the popular choices are and planning for them. This time around, Oranguru is many players’ favorite choice in the Retro Cup. That means you’d do well to plan for coming up against one.

Suggested Retro Cup Team Combos for Pokemon GO

Players are bringing their best strategy to the Retro Cup, and with so many types available, it’s hard to plan for just what you’ll face. That said, these combinations have good overall type coverage and strong attacks to give you a fighting chance.

Pokemon	Type
Pinsir	Bug
Annihilape	Fighting/Ghost
Dunsparce	Normal

This team leads Pinsir to prepare for the very likely event that you’ll go up against the Retro Cup’s current favorite, Oranguru. As one of the stronger bug-type attackers in Pokemon GO, Pinsir can help you smack it down by leaning into its only type weakness.

Annihilape and Dunsparce follow, bringing in some solid type coverage for any situation thanks to the Fighting/Ghost combo and the generally well-rounded Normal typing. If you haven’t managed to evolve an Annihilape yet, Primeape is still a solid PvP choice here.

Pokemon	Type
Oranguru	Psychic/Normal
Dewgong	Water/Ice
Altaria	Flying/Dragon

If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. We couldn’t leave out a team with Oranguru since it’s a popular choice for the Retro Cup for a reason. Dewgong adds a solid Ice-type to the mix, enjoying the lack of Steel Pokemon, but you’ll still want to watch out for Fire, Rock, and Fighting-type opponents. That’s where Altaria comes in as a dual Flying/Dragon type that’s a bit easier to get ahold of in Pokemon GO than some of the other popular PvP choices.

Pokemon	Type
Jumpluff	Flying/Grass
Ursaring	Normal
Arctibax	Dragon/Ice

It may not look like much, but Jumpluff is surprisingly solid in PvP due to its unusual typing and solid moveset. As a Normal type with impressive speed, Ursaring can be a solid safe option so long you’re prepared for that weaker defense. Finally, Arctibax makes a strong closer with impressive damage potential to round out this team.

These options provide a few possible, balanced teams to bring into the Pokemon GO Retro Cup this season. That said, this cup is an opportunity to have fun and build up some of your favorites from those original types. You may want to go with Pokemon you’ve already invested in or pour a little Candy into a personal favorite for this Go Battle League event.

Pokemon GO is available to play now on mobile devices.