The Pokémon GO Fest 2025 in-person events at Osaka, Jersey City, and Paris mark the shiny debut of the Pseudo Legendary line from Paldea, the Godzilla-esque Baxcalibur!
In the main series games, Baxcalibur is among the strongest Pokémon in general and Pseudos in particular. Its stats (mainly its ATK and HP) are so high that this monster got hit with the 9% nerf hammer in Pokémon GO. Still, it has good stats overall and an excellent moveset.
Obviously, it’s going to be one of the most sought-after shinies during the GO Fest extravaganza but just how good is it in the PvE and PvP meta?
Let’s have a look at its stats, matchups, and movepool, and then dig into its viability in Pokémon GO!
Stats & matchups
Baxcalibur
DragonIce
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| Max CP at Level 40 3550 | Max CP at Level 50 4013 | |||||||||
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| ATK 254 | DEF 168 | HP 229 | |||||||
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Movepool
| Fast | Charge |
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Baxcalibur has reasonably good stats and an excellent moveset! In both cases, Baxcalibur is not bad per se, it’s just outclassed, But by how much? And to what degree is Bax worth its salt?
As a Dragon type
254 ATK and no access to Dragon Tail (though Baxcalibur learns it in the mainline games) renders Bax nowhere close to the top echelon of Dragon types, even when you put Megas, Shadows, and Legendaries out of contention.
Haxorus, Salamence, Dragapult, Dragonite, and Garchomp are all stronger Dragons. However, there’s a chance Baxcalibur can become a more viable Dragon down the line if it gets access to its signature move Glaive Rush, and if this move’s stats are tuned well.
In the mainline games, Glaive Rush is an Outrage clone in terms of stats. So, a stronger Outrage could very well propel Bax to greater heights. But then, Dragapult (already a strong Dragon thanks to Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe) may also get even better with Dragon Darts.
It remains to be seen how all this pans out but as a Dragon type, Baxcalibur is mediocre in PvE.
As an Ice type
Oh, how the turn tables! Baxcalibur is a top-tier Ice type attacker, even including Megas, Shadows, and Legendaries!
White Kyurem, the yet-to-debut Galarian Darmanitan (Zen mode), Shadow Mamoswine, Shadow Weavile, and Galarian Darmanitan are all the leading Ice type attackers and Baxcalibur is right next to them in DPS. Baxcalibur possesses greater TDO.
In fact, Bax is second only to White Kyurem with regards to TDO, making it a sublime pick in PvE. But just like the huge glaive on Bax’s back, its Ice type PvE relevance is a double-edged sword.
Baxcalibur’s Ice type damage is ideal against Pokémon double weak to Ice attacks. This is incredible for Raid Bosses like Landorus and Torterra, but when facing a Dragon, it takes super-effective damage in return. This is a concern for Baxcalibur as Dragon type damage takes a toll on its survivability, making other Ice types like Mamoswine and Galarian Darmanitan more ideal.
Still, if you’re able to dodge well, Baxcalibur works out, and in other Raids, Bax definitely pulls through!
Verdict
Overall, Baxcalibur is a great Ice type and can potentially get better in the future as a Dragon. Its mix of DPS and TDO makes it a solid PvE pick, with dodging recommended against Dragon types.
Baxcalibur’s offense-oriented stats make it ideal for the Master League, with Arctibax being a good option in the Great League.
That said, Baxcalibur is wildly outclassed in Master League by fellow Dragon/Ice Pokémon Black and White Kyurem. These two Kyurem forms are sheer dominance in the Master League. And oh, base Kyurem is better as well!
This does not mean Baxcalibur is a slouch! With a remarkable moveset, this Pseudo Legendary does leave its mark in PvP.
What makes Bax click is access to Ice Fang, a superb Fast Move for PvP. While Dragon Breath is nice, it loses the CMP to Dragonite. Moreover, Dragon Breath doesn’t give Bax a niche like Ice Fang does. In a meta filled with Dragon, , and Ground types, Ice Fang Baxcalibur is an asset.
Baxcalibur’s victims in the Open Master League include Landorus Therian, Groudon, Giratina Origin and Altered, Enamorus Incarnate, Yveltal, Dragonite, Zygarde Complete, Ursaluna, White Kyurem, and Rhyperior! In addition, it also beats Mewtwo, Kyogre, Mamoswine, and Dawn Wings Necrozma. This coverage low-key makes Baxcalibur a core breaker in the ML meta so it’s worthwhile using it.
The Ice Fang versions beats Dragon Breath not only in finding a niche for Baxcalibur but this set also boasts a higher win rate. Dragon Claw is cheap and helps Bax bait shields while Avalanche, one of the strongest PvP Charged Moves wreaks havoc, during end-game scenarios.
You’re welcome to go with other variants like Dragon Breath and Icy Wind but they don’t pose as much of a threat as the Ice Fang, Dragon Claw, and Avalanche threat does.
Even in losing matchups, Baxcalibur can cripple the likes of Togekiss and Black Kyurem to an appreciable degree.
When there are no shields in play, Baxcalibur even beats Togekiss, Excadrill, and Primarina.
Regarding a potential Glaive Rush in PvP, one can speculate it being a cheaper Outrage in energy but debuffing Baxcalibur’s DEF by 2 stages. This is in line with the mainline games where Bax takes double damage from moves the very next turn after using Glaive Rush (instead of getting stuck to it and later confused as Outrage does). Or, it can even roll with Breaking Swipe instead, giving it a better Dragon Claw to play with.
We’ll see how this chalks out but at the moment, Bax is pretty good.
Verdict
Baxcalibur is undoubtedly potent in the Master League but one can’t ignore just how dominant B&W Kyurem are. Through 10km Eggs, Research Breakthrough, and GO Fest spawns, you can max out a high IV Baxcalibur relatively easily and have a fun Master League mon to run. Sometimes, it will single-handedly rip apart teams thanks to the coverage it has but in other cases, its low DEF and five weaknesses (Dragon, Fairy, Fighting, Rock, and Steel) can work against it in drastic ways.
Baxcalibur is sort of a coin flip in the Master League where it can certainly dent holes in the finest teams but be forced to switch out or faint otherwise.
So is Baxcalibur a worthy catch? Sure.
It has amazing offensive typing, is a functional Ice type, has potential as a Dragon type (although it won’t go bonkers in the meta), and can be scary in the Master League.
The shiny is terrible though!
GO Godzilla! Godchilla? Coldzilla? Take your pick!
