Best team for the Willpower Cup in Pokemon Go
NianticThe Willpower Cup has arrived in the Pokemon Go Battle League, so we’ve put together a list of recommendations to help you form the best team to take you straight to victory.
If you ever find yourself getting tired of the standard Great League, Ultra League, and Master League, you’ll want to look to the unique cups that Niantic adds to the Pokemon Go Battle League every season.
The latest addition is the Willpower Cup, in which only Dark, Fighting, and Psychic-types are allowed to enter. It’s a real shakeup that will probably leave players questioning what a ‘best team’ looks like.
To help you master the Willpower Cup, we’ve put together our best team suggestion as well as some other top Pokemon picks below.
NianticBest team for the Willpower Cup in Pokemon Go
One of the best teams you can use for the Willpower Cup is Mandibuzz, Galarian Rapidash, and Medicham.
These are three of the top-performing competitors in this cup and together they should offer a good range of coverage against most opponents, especially with such a limited selection of eligible ‘mon.
As always, it’s impossible to say what a true ‘best’ team looks like as it really depends on what your opponent uses, but we’ve rounded up some of your best options alongside their top movesets below.
Best Pokemon for the Willpower Cup
Mandibuzz
Niantic / The Pokemon Company- Fast Move: Air Slash
- Charged Moves: Foul Play and Aerial Ace
- Resistances: Dark, Ghost, Grass, Ground, and Psychic
- Weaknesses: Electric, Fairy, Ice, and Rock
Mandibuzz is a versatile addition to any trainer’s collection, performing well across loads of cups. It arguably puts in its best performance ever here, though, with wins against Sableye, Hisuian Qwilfish, Medicham, Umbreon, and even the Legendary Cresselia.
Air Slash is the preferred Fast Move, as it has the highest damage output. Follow this up with Foul Play and Aerial Ace to get access to two cheap Charged Moves that can dish out some impressive STAB damage at a decent pace to keep any opponent on their toes.
Umbreon
Niantic / The Pokemon Company- Fast Move: Snarl
- Charged Moves: Foul Play and Last Resort
- Resistances: Ghost, Dark, and Psychic
- Weaknesses: Fairy, Fighting, and Bug
If you’ve not got access to a viable Mandibuzz, your next best Dark-type option is Umbreon. It’s the Eeveelution with the highest bulk, meaning it can stick around longer than most on the battlefield, while its moveset is suitable spammy.
Snarl has the best energy generation out of Umbreon’s two Fast Moves, and when it comes to Charged Moves, you’ll want Foul Play for some low-cost shield baiting, while the Normal-type Last Resort gives you a backup for when Dark-type attacks aren’t effective.
Alolan Raichu
Niantic / The Pokemon Company- Fast Move: Volt Switch
- Charged Moves: Wild Charge and Thunder Punch
- Resistances: Electric, Fighting, Flying, Psychic, and Steel
- Weaknesses: Bug, Dark, Ghost, and Ground
Alolan Raichu sent shockwaves through the Psychic Cup, so it’s not too surprising to see it pop up as a top contender in the Willpower Cup, too, where it gets another chance to shine with key wins over Mandibuzz, Galarian Rapidash, Medicham, and plenty more.
This is largely down to its attacks: The combination of Volt Switch and Thunder Punch offers fast and consistent Electric-type STAB damage that’s mostly unresisted in this cup. From there, you can go with Psychic for extra coverage or Wild Charge for a full-on Electric-type moveset.
Galarian Rapidash
Niantic / The Pokemon Company- Fast Move: Fairy Wind
- Charged Moves: Play Rough and Body Slam
- Resistances: Dragon, Fighting, and Psychic
- Weaknesses: Ghost, Poison, and Steel
With so many Dark-type Pokemon dominating the Willpower Cup, it’s definitely not a bad idea to have a Fairy-type on your team. While Galarian Rapidash sadly doesn’t have access to Charm, it’s still got a decent Fairy-type moveset and a high Attack stat that works well in this cup.
Fairy Wind is the best Fast Move here, offering high energy generation and average STAB damage. Pair this with Play Rough for some consistent Fairy-type damage. If you can afford a second Charged Move, you’ll want Body Slam as its low cost will allow you to spam and bait shields.
Medicham
Niantic / The Pokemon Company- Fast Move: Counter
- Charged Move: Ice Punch and Dynamic Punch
- Resistances: Fighting and Rock
- Weaknesses: Fairy, Flying, and Ghost
Medicham is a Pokemon that many Trainers will have access to as it recently appeared as a Research Breakthrough reward. You’ll need XL Candy to make the most of it, but it’s one of the best eligible Fighting-types here and can be a real threat to Dark-type Pokemon.
Counter is one of the best Fast Moved in Pokemon Go, offering solid damage output and energy generation. Pair this with Dynamic Punch for double Fighting-type trouble, then choose Ice Punch (or Psychic) as your second Charged Move for extra coverage.
Pokemon Go Willpower Cup rules & restrictions
The main rule of the Willpower Cup is that only Dark, Fighting, and Psychic-type Pokemon below 1500 CP are eligible to take part. Also, Gardevoir is banned from entering the Willpower Cup.
Pokemon Go Willpower Cup start & end date
The Willpower Cup begins on Thursday, November 3, 2022, at 1PM PT / 4PM ET / 8PM GMT and ends on Thursday, November 10, 2022, at 1PM PT.
It will run alongside the traditional Ultra League. We’ve got an Ultra League best team guide that might help you out there.