Nifty Or Thrifty PvP: Fantasy Cup (Ultra League)

The “Nifty Or Thrifty” article series takes a comprehensive look at the meta for PvP Cup formats: the return of the Ultra League version of Fantasy Cup, in this case, for the first time since Season 13, if I’m remembering correctly. Quite a lot has obviously changed in the game since then! So as is typical for the NoT series, I’ll cover not only the top meta picks, but also some mons where you can save some dust with cheaper second move unlock costs or less powering up, though there aren’t many things that fall into the truly “thrifty” category in this one, I’m sorry to say!

As per usual, we’ll start with Pokémon with the cheapest second move unlock cost and steam ahead until we finally arrive at the most expensive (Legendaries and some high XL options). And unfortunately, as I hinted above, there are very few truly thrifty options here, with only a couple 10k Pokémon to be found in the Top 25. I will also only be highlighting the even more expensive Shadow versions when they’re particularly relevant, though many are worse, and that’s what you can generally infer if I don’t talk about them.

First, a brief summary of the meta:

WHAT IS FANTASY CUP?

  • Ultra League, 2500 CP limit.
  • Only Dragon-, Fairy-, and Steel-type Pokémon are allowed to be used.
  • No other restrictions. Legendaries, Mythicals, and Ultra Beasts are a-okay (and several are, indeed, top meta picks).

Alright, strap in… here we go!

10,000 Dust/25 Candy

PRIMARINA

Artwork of Primarina from Pokémon GO Primarina WaterFairy

Waterfall/Charm | Hydro Cannonᴸ & Moonblast

Prima Donna didn’t get its Community Day and Hydro Cannon until a year after our last Ultra League Fantasy Cup, and of course has had both of its fast moves reworked just this year. And while it doesn’t pull incredible numbers at surface level, there’s a lot more here than just numbers, and its high ranking (higher than any other 10k ‘mon) is very much earned. It can beat everything ranked above it except for Mimikyu, and the rest of the Top 10 other than Corviknight (and it can even sometimes sneak in a win over ShadowKnight). Water is potent (isn’t it always?) in this meta as a great way to get around Steel and even most other Fairies — and for that reason, I really recommend Waterfall over Charm — and just as with Azumarill down in Great League, Prima’s Fairy half is normally good anyway, but fantastic here for its (double!) resistance to Dragon. A cheap second move and only needing to hit Level 30 or so makes it a rare thrifty treat in this meta too. Cha-ching! 🤑

EMPOLEON

Artwork of Empoleon from Pokémon GO Empoleon WaterSteel

Waterfall/Metal Sound | Hydro Cannonᴸ & Drill Peck

Just squeaking into the Top 20, but in fairness, that’s with Metal Sound. As with Primarina, I actually think that Waterfall may be the better overall play. While Metal Sound can outrace Alolan Sandslash, Primarina, and most importantly, Mimikyu, Waterfall can just do more, washing away Corviknight, Galarian Stunfisk, Flygon, Reshiram, and enemy Empoleons. Similarly, Shadow Empoleon is slightly better with Waterfall as well, getting G-Fisk, A-Slash, Steelix, Turtonator, and the mirror rather than Metal Sound‘s Kingdra, Primarina, Tinkaton, and sometimes (Shadow) Galarian Weezing. Waterfall Cup confirmed? 🌊

CORVIKNIGHT

Artwork of Corviknight from Pokémon GO Corviknight FlyingSteel

Sand Attack | Air Cutterᴸ & Payback/Iron Headᴸ

So the first choice here is which move to run alongside the basically required Air Cutter. We have Iron Head for obvious anti-Fairy hate, or Payback which Fairies actually resist, but gives Corvi its best shot versus opposing Steel types. Then the next question is Shadow or not? And then finally, what about IVs? Building a higher rank Corviknight to Ultra League level means pushing deep into the 40s, usually Level 47 or higher. Well to answer those questions, I think it’s actually A.) I think it is still Payback you want for the closing move, as Corvi still conquers most Fairies without Iron Head (Togekiss, Florges, and sometimes G-Weeze are the only big exceptions), and Payback brings in big stuff like Giratina, Registeel, G-Fisk, the mirror, and even Tapu Fini; B.) non-Shadow seems slightly better than Shadow, with the latter better overpowering Zygrade and A-Slash, but non-Shadow instead outlasting Giratina, Primarina, Lucario, and Melmetal; and C.) you may be better off building up a near-hundo than higher rank IVs, as having that higher Attack can mean additional wins like Cobalion, Mimikyu (that’s a big one, as we’ll see in a bit), and of course the mirror match. That all said, both regular and Shadow Corviknight are deservedly ranked inside the Top 10, and really any Corviknight you already have built up can and should see work in this meta. I’m just here to make sure YOU know this little nuances I find out. 🧐

LUCARIO (Baby Discount™)

Artwork of Lucario from Pokémon GO Lucario FightingSteel

Force Palmᴸ | Aura Sphere & Meteor Mash

Strictly by the numbers, Luc is just okay, but it does occupy a pretty unique spot in this meta as a true Fighter with upside. Consider it a budget Cobalion, with Luc scratching out unique wins over Florges, Kingdra, and Shadow Forretress, but Cob just being better overall with wins instead versus Corviknight, Melmetal, Shadow Flygon, Reshiram, and Lucario itself.

GHOLDENGO

Artwork of Gholdengo from Pokémon GO Gholdengo SteelGhost

Astonish/Hex | Shadow Ball & Focus Blast

Viable, but perhaps not as good as you’d want it to be. It’s a Ghost that is inconsistent versus Fighters (usually beats Cobalion but loses to Lucario). It’s a Steel that loses to Fairies like Primarina and Galarian Weezing (Brutal Swing hurts), and somehow loses to most of the meta’s top Dragons. At least Focus Blast can be a very nasty surprise (I think most people expect Power Gem or Dazzling Gleam instead) and it can Astonish Mimikyu to death, but I was hoping for a bit more, honestly.

CLEFABLE

Artwork of Clefable from Pokémon GO Clefable Fairy

Fairy Wind | Meteor Mash & Moonblast

Dragons hate it (Clefable can beats ALL of them except sometimes Turtonato), and even most Fairies, including Mimikyu, fall before Clefable and its Meteor Mashing. (A few Fairies outlast it if they throw both shields at Clefable, but otherwise it’s just half-Steel Tinkaton and Crowned Zacian — neither of which should be common encounters — that sometimes outlast it.) The big issue, of course, is Steels, as they resist everything Clefable has to throw at them. This holds it in check against the core meta (literally half of which are Steel types). It DOES manage to beat Fighters (Cob, Luc) and quasi-Fighters (Escavalier), so there’s that. But even with its glaring blind spot versus most Steels, Clefable is a fantastic budget option here, and can be built even more budget-friendly as a hundo and miss out on very, very little.

And unfortunately, that’s about it for true budget options. I did my best! We get increasingly expensive from here….

50,000 Dust/50 Candy

MIMIKYU

Artwork of Mimikyu from Pokémon GO Mimikyu GhostFairy

Shadow Claw | Shadow Sneak & Thunder/Play Rough

The Disguise Pokémon is ranked #2, and this may be many players big introduction to this funky new addition, with this being the first Cup ever in which it’s eligible. And what an introduction. 💀 It needs to be maxed out, making it extremely budget-unfriendly, but you KNOW people will be building it (or already have). For those that do, Thunder may actually be the better play here, with wins that Play Rough cannot match over Corviknight and Empoleon. And don’t worry about giving up many Dragons without any Fairy moves… even without Play Rough, Mimikyu can still typically take out all non-Dark Dragons but Appletun, and handles most Fairies and even the vast majority of Steel types! Yeah, for better or for worse, Mimikyu and its third shield power is gong to be perhaps THE build-around piece in this meta… and many other metas to come until and unless Scopeantic modifies it.

A quick word on another factor that makes Mimik so good here: this is a very Ghost-friendly meta in general. Resisted only by Dark and Normal types, and you can count the number of those you may realistically see on one hand: Drampa, Guzzlord, Grimmsnarl, Kingambit, and maybe Hydreigon. (Honestly, though, I have personally seen only Drampa thus far.) Meanwhile, there are over three times as many competitive Ghost and Psychic types that are vulnerable to Ghost damage, and everything else takes neutral: most Dragons, Fairies, and Steels. Ghost damage is a great equalizer here that will apply pressure to nearly everything. There are only seven eligible Ghosts in this meta, and five of those seven find themselves ranked within the Top 50, with four of those cracking the Top 25 (well, technically Top 26, but close enough for government work!).

Anyway… onward!

FLORGES

Artwork of Florges from Pokémon GO Florges Fairy

Fairy Wind | Chilling Waterᴸ & Moonblast

This and the next Fairy below might be the closest we get to “thrifty” for the rest of the article. Florges has an affordable second move cost and doesn’t even need to be leveled to 30 to hit 2500 CP, even with #1 rank IVs. And it’s totally worth it too, able to overcome most Dragons and Fairies while Chilling Water also powers special Steel wins like Alolan Sandslash, Galarian Stunfisk, Steelix, and usually even Corviknight!

TOGEKISS

Artwork of Togekiss from Pokémon GO Togekiss FairyFlying

Peck | Aura Sphereᴸ & Flamethrower

And here’s your other “cheap” Fairy in this section, even cheaper than Florges, actually. You probably don’t need me to tell you that this Flying Fairy is quite unique, but uh… it really is. Its Flying side is actually perhaps more of a liability than a strength in this meta, as I think there will be more Electric and Ice to worry about taking super effective damage from than there will be Ground damage that Togekiss can resist, but that combined with its charge moves make Togekiss truly special. Aura Sphere is obvious now, but you really have to love what Flamethrower does here, roasting Steels like Corviknight, A-Slash, Forretress (even with Volt Switch), and Scizor along with the more obvious G-Fisk, Lucario, and Cobalion.

HATTERENE

Artwork of Hatterene from Pokémon GO Hatterene PsychicFairy

Psycho Cut | Psyshock & Dazzling Gleam/Power Whip

One more Fairy that I think is WAY below most peoples’ radar is Hatterene, which is flimsy but surprisingly good with Psycho Cut. It doesn’t do anything particularly special (though running it with Power Whip at least makes it a great Primarina sniper)), but it has the looks of a much more viable option than I expected going in.

KINGDRA

Artwork of Kingdra from Pokémon GO Kingdra WaterDragon

Dragon Breath | Surf & Outrage

The one exception to my short hyothesis on “always run Waterfall from earlier, Kingdra is much better with Dragon Breath, along with Outrage for closing power and Surf for baits and coverage, as Swift just isn’t very good here with so many Steels around to resist it. (At least Surf deals neutral to most of them.) It’s not the most amazing Dragon ever in this particular meta, but it is absolutely a valid and comparatively affordable play.

DRAGALGE

Artwork of Dragalge from Pokémon GO Dragalge PoisonDragon

Acid | Aqua Tail & Focus Blast

Here’s a funky one, not so much because you never see it in PvP (you still often do, at least in limited metas), but because of the move recommendation. Yes, that IS Focus Blast you see in my recommendation, as it just offers so much that other alternatives do not, namely Steel types like Melmetal, Magnezone, Cobalion, Empoleon, A-Slash, and SScizor. I wouldn’t label the Mock Kelp Pokémon top meta or anything, but I do think it has a place here, whereas its ranking as the 22nd-ranked Dragon, and down at #64 overall, will likely keep it off many players’ teams.

SHADOW EXCADRILL

Artwork of Shadow Excadrill from Pokémon GO Shadow Excadrill GroundSteel

Mud Shot | Drill Run & Earthquake/Rock Slide

It’s no Galarian Stunfisk or even Steelix, but Excadrill is a LOT cheaper and easier to build in a pinch, and still does a serviceable job. I think I would actually go all-Ground with Earthquake rather than Rock Slide, which can take down Dragonite but whiffs on things Quake can roll over like Registeel and G-Fisk itself.

MAGNEZONE

Artwork of Magnezone from Pokémon GO Magnezone ElectricSteel

Volt Switch | Mirror Shot & Wild Charge

The advantages are obvious: shocking all the big Water and Flying types (except Dragonite), with the secondary benefit of handling most Fairies and Forretress, A-Slash, and even Melmetal as nice bonuses. The downside? Just about everything else. I think the upside wins, but anyone who has any experience with Magnezone knows that it’s not for everyone.

ALOLAN SANDSLASH

Artwork of Alola Sandslash from Pokémon GO Alola Sandslash IceSteel

Powder Snow | Drill Run & Blizzard/Ice Punch

Powder Snow seems a bit better than Shadow Claw, to my surprise, though it’s well worth noting that the latter CAN beat out Primarina, Mimikyu, and the mirror. But Powder Snow just does too much to ignore, with wins that include Corviknight, Dragonite, and Flygon (their regular and Shadow variants) instead. I also recommend eschewing Ice Punch here for Blizzard instead, which makes Corviknight more consistent and adds on Florges too.

75,000 Dust/75 Candy

GARCHOMP & FLYGON

Artwork of Garchomp from Pokémon GO Garchomp DragonGround

Mud Shot | Twister & Earth Powerᴸ

Yep, they’re both pretty equally viable, and after a look at several of those movesets, I really do think both* are best off running **Mud Shot with Legacy Earth Power and their newest addition in Twister. Both are slightly better as Shadows, though Shadow Garchomp does beat Shadow Flygon in the head to head, while Flygon can sometimes sneak away with a win over Shadow Scizor that Garchompy usually can’t handle. Both are able to overpower many notable Steels that most Dragons struggle with, like Tinkaton, A-Slash, Registeel, and Forretress, along with Ground-weak Galarian Weezing, which are all great victories. However, they’re also left more vulnerable than other Dragons to Water damage, and ironically lose to many of their fellow Dragons since Twister is then their only super effective response. (Turtonator is NO issue, though!) Think of them as Ground types with some Dragon coverage more than you think of them as Dragons with Ground coverage, and use them accordingly. But DO consider using them… I think they’re a bit underrated right now.

Artwork of Complete Zygarde from Pokémon GO Complete Zygarde GroundDragon

And I know we’re not at the Legendaries yet, but this seems as good a place as any to mention the other Dragon/Ground type, ZYGARDE. Yes, it’s a bit better than Chompy or Flygone, but not as much as you might think. As it doesn’t have a Ground fast move and is left running Dragon Tail (combined with widely neutral Crunch) instead, it does better versus Dragons (picking up Altaria, Kingdra, and Giratina), but struggles much more versus Steels, dropping stuff like A-Slash and Tinkaton that its budget replacements above can handle. If you have the Complete “Order Pokémon” built for Ultra League, absolutely run it out there. But if not, I do think the non-Legendary Grounded Dragons are still fine replacements with their own advantages in Fantasy Cup.

DRAGONITE

Artwork of Dragonite from Pokémon GO Dragonite DragonFlying

Dragon Breath | Thunder Punch & Superpower

Thunder Punch for Waters and Flyers (can beat Tapu Fini and Togekiss that way) and Superpower for Steels (with wins like Cobalion, Lucario, Corviknight, and even A-Slash). The OG Dragon is still a little too flimsy to surge in Ultra League, but both regular (outlasts Togekiss, Flygon, and Scizor) and Shadow (smacks aside Steelix, Registeel, and Altaria) are perfectly viable and well-rounded options here that require not a single XL Candy.

GOODRA

Artwork of Goodra from Pokémon GO Goodra Dragon

Dragon Breath | Aqua Tail & Thunder Punchᴸ

Thunder Punch makes a lot of sense again, and while Goodra misses out on Tapu Fini that Dragonite can shock to defeat, Gooey is MUCH more consistent in taking down Togekiss and importantly overcomes Primarina as well! With Aqua Tail as its spammy coverage move, it can take out Dragonite in the head to head, as well as getting special wins that ‘Nite cannot like Giratina, Shadow Flygon, and Forretress, and beats several things that Dragonite has to choose one or the other between its regular and Shadow forms, like taking out both Scizor and Steelix, and Altaria and Flygon. Where it does struggle is against most Steels, with Dragonite’s Superpower writing checks like Cobalion, Lucario, Registeel, A-Slash, and Corviknight that Goodra just cannot cash. (My tired brain is really dipping in deep on the metaphors, eh? 🤑) Goodra and Dragonite are on pretty equal footing, but have plenty of differences which you, dear reader, hopefully now better understand a bit!

KOMMO-O

Artwork of Kommo-o from Pokémon GO Kommo-o DragonFighting

Dragon Tail | Upper Hand & Clanging Scalesᴸ

Another 75k Dragon that can and probably should see play, with its own nuances. Like Dragonite, it can contend with (some) Steels like Cobalion, Lucario, A-Slash, and Forretress (including Shadow Forret that both Dragonite and Goodra struggle against). Like Goodra, it can reliably outlast Giratina, Kingdra, Altaria, Flygon (regular and Shadow), and even Zygarde that neither Goodra nor Dragonite can usually overcome. Where Kommo slides back is versus Waters and especially Flyers, since it lacks Electric coverage AND takes super effective Flying damage, so Corviknight, Dragonite, Empoleon, Tapu Fini, Primarina, and especially Togekiss all escape. And frustratingly, Kommo also fails to handle Steelix, Scizor, or Registeel, all of which you’d hope for a galf-Fighter with Upper Hand to beat. Kommo IS really solid, but as with the others, it has its limitations. Study them, learn them, and then make the best choice for YOUR team!

SHADOW SALAMENCE

Artwork of Shadow Salamence from Pokémon GO Shadow Salamence DragonFlying

Fire Fang | Brutal Swing & Fly

Haven’t really seen this Dragon at all yet, mostly because it’s normally just a worse Dragonite/Goodra/etc., but those who dismiss it miss its unique, secret tech: FIre Fang. If you run Sal, you want to do it with Fire Fang to shock and awe Steels (and even some Fairies) before they quite know what’s happening. You’re not really beating any Dragons that way, but the surprise factor may be worth a roll of the dice anyway if you’re feeling spicy! 🌶️

METAGROSS

Artwork of Metagross from Pokémon GO Metagross SteelPsychic

Shadow Clawᴸ | Meteor Mashᴸ & Earthquake

Regular and Shadow are both equally viable, with the former better oulasting Dragonite, Scizor, and Shadow Flygon, and the latter rolling over Steelix, Registeel, and even Tapu Fini instead, largely thanks to big neutral (and sometimes super effective) damage from Shadow Claw and the buffed-again Earthquake. The overall win/loss margin isn’t great, but for much of its history, Metagross did nothing outside of Master League, so its viability here is nice to see!

DOUBLADE

Artwork of Doublade from Pokémon GO Doublade SteelPsychic

Shadow Claw | Sacred Sword & Gyro Ball

Another case where the near-hundo is better than higher rank IVs, carving out extra potential wins over Shadow Forretress and Primarina (as well as Tapu Fini and a tie with Mimikyu in 2shield). I like Double Trouble here as a perhaps unexpected twist with a nice amount of variety. It can hit most Steels and Fairies for super effective damage of some kind and is a tough out for most Dragons too.

SYLVEON

Artwork of Sylveon from Pokémon GO Sylveon Fairy

Fairy Wind | Shadow Ball & Moonblast

I’m still kind of iffy on this one in general, as good as the additions of Fairy Wind and Shadow Ball this season have been. But I’ve seen a fair share on the opposing team already, so sure, it’ll be out there. And Shadow Ball IS good here, as we’ve already extolled the virtues of Ghost damage in this meta. I hesitate to recommend it over other Fairies like Clefable, but Sylvie can get the job done well enough.

100,000 Dust/100 Candy

I’m terribly behind on releasing this at this point, so switching to rapid fire, bulletized mode for these expensive options. Doesn’t mean they’re not highly competitive options, becsuse they absolutely are… 16 of the Top 25 ranked Pokémon in this meta qualify for these last couple sections! It’s just that I really do need to wrap it up, and honestly, most of these are pretty obvious and don’t require a ton of analysis anyway. Strap in… here we go!

Artwork of Cobalion from Pokémon GO Cobalion SteelFighting

COBALION, as mentioned earlier, is just a better Lucario, and I’ve seen a TON of them so far. There is obvious value in Iron Head, but Stone Edge may be the better play with new potential wins like Dragonite, Kingdra, and Forretress, at least sometimes.

Artwork of Melmetal from Pokémon GO Melmetal Steel

MELMETAL has been popular too, and man, can it ever spam Double Iron Bash to be a menace even in not-so-great matchups. But Cob and Luc being out there doing the job Mel wants to do with Dynamic Punch kind of takes the shine off Melmetal a little bit.

Artwork of Registeel from Pokémon GO Registeel Steel

Heck, even REGISTEEL is left looking a bit lesser in comparison to the true Fighters. But at least you can build it with low rank IVs, saving a ton of dust and candy, and not really miss a beat!

Artwork of Heatran from Pokémon GO Heatran FireSteel

I REALLY expected a bit more out of HEATRAN. It’s a shame it can’t learn Ember or Incinerate… Fire Spin is just a liability in comparison these days. That said, there ARE Heatrans out there in this meta… I’ve seen them!

Artwork of Jirachi from Pokémon GO Jirachi WaterPsychic

Have NOT seen JIRACHI, probably because many PvPers turn them into Great League weapons. But in contrast to Heatran being a bit of a letdown, Jirachi looks underrated to me… if you have one of the right size.

Artwork of Tapu Fini from Pokémon GO Tapu Fini WaterFairy

Seen quite a few TAPU FINI, which makes sense seeing how good Primarina is. That said, Surf may not be necessary, as Water Gun pours on plenty of Water damage. Running both Fairy moves — or even the unexpected Ice Beam — may be the better play.

Artwork of Therian Enamorus from Pokémon GO Therian Enamorus FairyFlying

Don’t forget that ENAMORUS is also a thing… surprised the heck out of me earlier! Also don’t forget that it comes packing really good (Mystical) Fire and potentially Ground (Earth Power) damage too. Again… I sure did! 🤕

Artwork of Latias from Pokémon GO Latias DragonPsychic
  • LATIAS and LATIOS both look like they could be fun. A little surprised I haven’t seen them yet… though they are weak to the very popular Ghosts. Speaking of which….
Artwork of Altered Giratina from Pokémon GO Altered Giratina GhostDragon

Yeah, GIRATINA is a real monster in this meta. You absolutely want to maximize that sweet, sweet Ghost damage with both Shadow Claw and Shadow Sneak… Shadow Force is probably overkill, though. Better to have some coverage with either Ancient Power or my recommendation of Dragon Claw for all the Dragons out there. Giratina is everywhere, folks.

Budget Busters 💸

And here we are… the MOST expensive stuff, because these all basically have to be maxed out to compete at this level. Second move costs don’t really matter at this point… NOTHING here can really be called “thrifty”, but they ARE pretty nifty! We’ll cover these in rapid fire, bulletized form before we wrap this one up at least….

Artwork of Turtonator from Pokémon GO Turtonator FireDragon

TURTONATOR is your #1 ranked Fantasy Cup Pokémon, and has a record to match. It’s that rare Dragon that directly counters most Steel types AND holds off many Fairies, with only Watery Primarina and Fini reliably escaping. As with Salamence earlier, ironically it is against other Dragoms that Turtonator really struggles. Dragon Claw can be a bit of an equalizer there, at least in theory, but I think I still lean Brutal Swing for how it smacks the Ghosts (and flips Mimikyu to a straight win!) rather than getting the occasional Flygon and such like Claw can sometimes maybe scratch out. And yes, this one really truly does need to be maxed all the way out, hitting 2499 CP at Level 50 exactly, and with nearly-perfect IVs, at that.

Artwork of Altaria from Pokémon GO Altaria DragonFlying
  • Normally a budget option, ALTARIA is anything but in this meta. Not only does it need to be fully maxed out (and still doesn’t hit even 2300 CP), but to get the most mileage out of it, it’s best to even best buddy the thing and take it up to Level 51 and extra wins over Corviknight (2shield), Kingdra (0shield), and of course, the mirror match. Flamethrower definitely works very well in this meta, and Altaria IS worth the build if that sounds like your style. But my wallet aches just thinking about it!
Artwork of Galarian Stunfisk from Pokémon GO Galarian Stunfisk GroundSteel

GALARIAN STUNFISK is great, of course, though it too has to be pushed all the way up to Level 50 (or beyond) and ideally with hundo IVs just to still not reach 2500 CP. Absolutely worth the build, though, as G-Fisk in particular is pretty useful even in Open play.

Artwork of Steelix from Pokémon GO Steelix SteelGround

Fellow Steely Ground type STEELIX thankfully doesn’t have to be pushed quite up to Level 50, but to get the most out of it, you do need to get very close. This is one where the performance does noticeably start to tail off if you try to keep the cost down and run with near-hundo IVs instead. And yes, I AM recommending Breaking Swipe over the usual (and much more popular now) Psychic Fangs… they’re both resisted by Steel types anyway, and at least Swipe sees gains like Giratina and Kingdra. Either is viable, though… just make sure to run Earthquake as the closer for solid anti-Ground tech.

Artwork of Tinkaton from Pokémon GO Tinkaton FairySteel

TINKATON is another straight to 50 Pokémon here, and there’s really little negotiating on that. Worth it, yes, and I’ve run across several opponents that have it built like they never broke a sweat. If you’re one of them, congrats! If not… well, join the club and pack a good Fire, Ground, or Water type to try and keep Tinkie in check.

Artwork of Orthworm from Pokémon GO Orthworm Steel

ORTHWORM is just a really solid Steel type, particularly in Ultra League, as I’ve written about before. And this meta where it can terrorize all three of the main typings is no exception. Will YOU be doing the worm? 🪱

Artwork of Forretress from Pokémon GO Forretress BugSteel

We gotta talk about FORRETRESS for a second. Look, I get it. Forret rocks out with Sand Tomb in Great League formats. But this ain’t Great League, folks! Stop it (maybe get some help?). Sand Tomb just ain’t it at this level, in this format or even in Open. It’s simple: here in Ultra League, you want Earthquake, and that includes here in Fantasy Cup, where it tacks on wins like Cobalion, Kingdra, Magnezone, and the important mirror match.

Artwork of Galarian Weezing from Pokémon GO Galarian Weezing PoisonFairy

GALARIAN WEEZING is pretty amazing in this meta, and it’s one of the better heavy investments for Open UL too. The investment is absolutely worth it if you can afford it. In this meta, Overheat is particularly important (IMO) for roasting anything not a Dragon (Steels in particular), and then it’s just down to whether you want Sludge for anti-Fairy (Prima, Fini, Florges, and the mirror) or Brutal Swing for anti-Ghost and general usage (Giratina, Corviknight, Empoleon, Registeel, Scizor). Neither is wrong!

Artwork of Alola Ninetales from Pokémon GO Alola Ninetales IceFairy

A few other Fairies to mention that are fine enough, nut all have to be maxed and I think the investment is a little more questionable. These include AROMATISSESLURPUFF (LOVE the coverage with Grass and Fire, but really does have to be fully maxed and underperforms a little bit, honestly), and ever-popular ALOLAN NINETALES (best with Blizzard rather than Weather Ball, but still just so-so even then). You’ll see them here and there, and you can consider any you already have built, but IMO this is not the meta to build them for in the here and now.

That’s A Wrap!

Alright, the Cup is already underway, so gonna wrap it up right there. As always, I hope this is a help in understanding not just the top meta picks, but also some fun and potent alternatives to make this FUN. This is a game after all, right? 😄

Until next time, you can always find me on Twitter for regular GO analysis nuggets, or Patreon. And please, feel free to comment here with your own thoughts or questions and I’ll try to get back to you!

Thank you for reading! I sincerely hope this helps you master Fantasy Cup, and in the most affordable way possible. Best of luck, and catch you next time, Pokéfriends!

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JRE47
JRE47
PoGO/PvP Investigative Journalist, GO Hub and Silph Arena/Road Contributor, amateur cook, author of 'Nifty Or Thrifty' and 'Under The Lights' article series and #PvPfacts!

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