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Hello Trainers! Into the Wild 2026 is here, and it’s a great warm-up for the upcoming GO Wild Area 2026: Global. The event brings plenty of useful PvE options, along with a couple of exciting Dynamax debuts. So, how much does it shake up the current PvE landscape? Let’s take a look.
Legendary Warriors of Galar
Let’s start with the Gen VIII mascots: Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta. Both have been staples as Steel type raid attackers for a while, sitting comfortably in the top two spots among top Steel attackers. That dominance isn’t going anywhere either. Using our DPS Comparer Tool:
| Pokémon | Moves | DPS | TDO | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Crowned Sword Zacian
|
|
23.88 | 660.7 | 22 |
Crowned Shield Zamazenta
|
|
23.29 | 775.7 | 21.8 |
Dusk Mane Necrozma
|
|
22.95 | 608.9 | 21.1 |
Mega Lucario
|
|
22.27 | 426.9 | 19.8 |
Mega Metagross
|
|
19.69 | 660.9 | 18.4 |
Shadow Metagross
|
|
20.12 | 439.4 | 18.1 |
Tinkaton
|
|
16.30 | 383.8 | 14.8 |
Lucario
|
|
16.84 | 263.6 | 14.6 |
Melmetal
|
|
15.20 | 457.2 | 14.1 |
Crowned Zacian and Crowned Zamazenta still lead the Steel raid attacker rankings. Zacian, however, edges out its fellow Galarian legend, remaining the best Steel attacker in the game right now. Their secondary typings tell a very different story. Zamazenta unfortunately doesn’t hold up particularly well as a Fighting type raid attacker and trails behind several better options. Zacian on the other hand, shines as a Fairy attacker and remains comfortably in the top five. That makes Crowned Zacian the more desirable PvE pick of the two, since it covers both of its dual roles very well.
Max Battle Value
There’s more to these two than raids. Both Crowned forms are also excellent in Max Battles. Crowned Zacian is currently the best Steel type attacker in Max Battles, and it’s likely to stay there for quite some time. It’s also a very strong defender, especially against Dragon type damage.
Crowned Zamazenta may not be as strong offensively, but it’s an outstanding defender. If you unlock its Max Guard, Crowned Zamazenta starts Max Battles with a free Max Guard Shield, which gives it immediate defensive value. Honestly, both Crowned forms are good enough that building two of each isn’t a bad idea.
Mid-Table Talents
The event also brings Meltan through the Mystery Box, and Gimmighoul through the Coin Bag. Their evolutions, Melmetal and Gholdengo, are decent but not top-tier PvE picks.
Melmetal is a solid backup Steel raid attacker, mainly because its XL Candy is fairly easy to collect. It’s not quite on the top meta level, trailing behind the likes of Tinkaton and Lucario (see table above), but is a great option for newer Trainers who are still building their Steel roster. Gholdengo can work as a backup Ghost attacker too, but just like Melmetal, isn’t the best meta pick in its department. Just keep in mind that, despite being a Steel type, Gholdengo doesn’t currently learn any Steel type attacks; so it’s not relevant as a Steel attacker at all. Gholdengo is also a laborious grind due to its evolution mechanic!
Max Battles
Max Battles is where the event really makes its mark. The following Dynamax Pokémon will make their debut during the event:
Where to find the new Dynamax Pokémon:
| New Dynamax Pokémon | Where to encounter it |
|---|---|
| Dynamax Regidrago | Five-Star Max Battles |
| Dynamax Meltan | GO Pass: Into the Wild |
Also, the following Pokémon will appear in Max Battles during the event:
One-Star Max Battles
Two-Star Max Battles
Five-Star Max Battles
Wednesday, November 11
Related Max Battle Guide:
Thursday, November 12
Related Max Battle Guide:
Friday, November 13
Related Max Battle Guide:
Max Battles work very differently from raids. A typical Max Battle team usually has just one dedicated attacker, while the other two slots often go to a defender and a healer. As a result, the PvE analysis for Max Battles also needs to be looked at from a different lens. Here is our tier lists for Max Battles:
Fairy Flair and Fighting Fists
Ralts and Machop are featured in One- and Two-Star Max Battles, giving Trainers an accessible way to build Dynamax Gardevoir, Gallade, and Machamp.
Dynamax Gardevoir is a decent Psychic type attacker for Max Battles, but it trails options like Alakazam, Espeon, and Metagross. Dynamax Gallade performs better than Gardevoir as a Psychic attacker, but it still falls behind those same options. Since Max Battles usually only need one attacker, neither Gardevoir nor Gallade are particularly important in the Psychic Max Battle meta.
Their secondary typings, though, are where things get interesting. Gallade is a very good Fighting type Max attacker, trailing only Dynamax Urshifu and Gigantamax Machamp. That makes it a great, accessible option for newer Trainers or anyone without a proper Fighting type Max Battle roster yet. And with Gigantamax Duraludon and Dynamax Dialga coming in Global GO Wild Area, now is a perfect time to run a few Ralts Max Battles and build a Dynamax Gallade. Gardevoir, meanwhile, is excellent as a Fairy type Max attacker and currently holds the top spot in that category. Fairy types still have to compete with Psychic and Dragon types in the wider Max Battle meta, so Gardevoir isn’t automatically the best overall pick. But for newer Trainers, it’s a great option to take on Latias, Latios and Regidrago Max Battles.
Dynamax Machamp is right behind Gallade as a Fighting type option. But since Gallade outperforms it, and Ralts is available in easier One-Star Max Battles, most Trainers should focus on Gallade first. Machamp fans still have a strong endgame option though—Gigantamax Machamp is always there.
The Legendary Titans
Dynamax Registeel and Dynamax Regidrago come with very different levels of Max Battle usefulness. Neither of them are particularly strong as attackers, but their defensive and supportive roles are worth discussing.
Registeel is one of the best Max Battle defenders in the game. Its high Defense stat and the many resistances that come with its Steel typing put it right up there with Crowned Zamazenta as one of the best defenders currently available. If you can get one, it’s a long-term investment worth making. Regidrago, on the other hand, isn’t great as either an attacker or a defender. Its massive 400 HP stat does give it potential as a healer, but Dynamax Blissey is easier to get and performs better in that role. So Regidrago ends up being more of a collection piece as its usefulness somehow ends up being not so useful.
The Eon Duo
Dynamax Latios and Dynamax Latias are also featured in Max Battles and their respective roles are very different.
Latios has some usefulness as an attacker, but it comes with an asterisk. It’s strong in both the Psychic and Dragon categories but, as a Psychic attacker, it trails the cheaper and more accessible Alakazam and as a Dragon attacker, and it is currently second only to Eternatus. But with Dynamax Dialga and Dynamax Palkia coming in Global GO Wild Area, Latios is likely to take a backseat soon.
Latias, however, is a spectacular defender. Its many resistances and fast 0.5-second Fast Attack make it great for both surviving damage and charging the Max Meter. If you can only build one of the Eon Duo, go with Latias as it’ll serve you much better in the long run.
The Hex Nut Pokémon
Finally, we have Dynamax Melmetal, available through GO Pass: Into the Wild. It’s also a strong Max Battle defender, but it sits behind Crowned Zacian, Crowned Zamazenta, Registeel, and Metagross in the current defensive rankings. Since Max Battle teams usually only have one defender slot, Melmetal can be best seen as a temporary or situational option rather than a long-term staple. Its Gigantamax form adds another layer of uncertainty too, G-Max Meltdown, Melmetal’s exclusive Steel type G-Max attack, could eventually make Gigantamax Melmetal even more relevant than its Dynamax version.
Parting Words
That is it Trainers, we have now reached the end of our analysis. Into the Wild event may not completely flip the raid meta on its head, but it’s an important event for Max Battle preparation. For newer Trainers, prioritize Dynamax Gallade for Fighting coverage and Dynamax Gardevoir for Fairy coverage. For more established Trainers, focus on locking in Crowned Zacian, Crowned Zamazenta, Registeel, and Latias before turning your attention to the upcoming Dynamax Dialga and Palkia releases. With Global GO Wild Area just around the corner, this is the perfect time to strengthen your Max Battle roster, stock up on key resources and get ready for the next wave of powerful Dynamax and G-Max releases.
And as always, stay safe! Happy hunting, trainers! May everyone get a BG Shiny!
