Is Machamp good in Pokémon Go?

Pokémon vary in stats and skills in Pokémon Go. Not every one of them is the same, and some are clearly better than others. When it comes to Machamp, many players are curious how powerful it is and how you can use it. It’s the first Pokémon to gain access to the Dark-type move payback, and based on its best moveset, we’re going to breakdown how good of a Fighting-type Pokémon it is.

Machamp, as a Fighting-type Pokémon, is weak to Fairy, Flying, and Psychic-type attacks, but it’s resistant to Bug, Dark, and Rock-type moves. For PvP, it has a maximum CP of 3,056, an attack of 196, a defense of 137, and stamina of 175. For PvE, it has an attack of 234, a defense of 159, and a stamina of 207. While it may not have the highest CP of any Pokémon in the mobile game, it’s a standout Fighting-type choice, capable of taking out Registeel, Regirock, Regiice, Giratina (Origin), Abomasnow, Muk, and Lapras in the Ultra League. If you bring it to the Master League, you’re taking out heavy hitters like Memetal, Ho-Oh, Mamoswine, Reshiram, and Swampert.

Because of its lower defensive stat, it isn’t easy to keep Machamp alive. You have to lure out the opponent’s stronger Pokémon first, and then potentially save a shield for it in a battle. If Machamp can stay alive long enough to use moves like payback or rock slide against the correct Pokémon, it can deal some serious damage. The problem is you’ll need to pair it with some defensive-heavy Pokémon.

For the Ultra League, you’re looking at pairing it with Articuno, Blastoise, Tangrowth, Clefable, Ferrothorn, Lickilicky, and several other Pokémon with a bit more bulk available. The same problem occurs in the Master League, but you need Pokémon like Metagross, Mewtwo, Giratina (Origin), Regice, Landorus, or Palkia.

If you want the best results from a Machamp, you want to use a shadow version that does not have the move frustration. That way, it can learn the best moves available to it but still receive the increased damage from being a shadow Pokémon. This will almost always be the superior version of Machamp, and it’s better than the original in both the Ultra and Master League and for PvE.

Overall, Machamp is an excellent choice. If you can capture it during Machop’s Community Day weekend to teach it payback as a shadow Pokémon without frustration, you’re going to have the best version. So long as you have the durable partners available to Machamp, it will give you the most assistance in PvP.