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Welcome Trainers! Here we are, just a few days before the start of Kalos Tour, starting from Tainan, Taiwan and Los Angeles, USA, followed by Road to Kalos Event and ending with Global Tour: Kalos. In all this excitement, let us not forget the upcoming Five-Star Raids. Sunne Pokémon: Solgaleo will be in Five-Star Raids from February 16-February 21. While most Trainers associate Solgaleo as just an entity for fusion with Necrozma to obtain Dusk Mane Necrozma, I am here to discuss whether Solgaleo, as a standalone Pokémon, has any standing in Pokémon GO meta, or is it just going to be a fusion fodder for Necrozma?
Solgaleo: Stats, Profile and Typing
Solgaleo
PsychicSteel
| Max CP | 4570 |
|---|---|
| ATK | 255 |
| DEF | 191 |
| HP | 264 |
| Weak to |    |
| Resists |           |
| Fast Attacks |
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| Charge Attacks |
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Solgaleo is a Psychic Steel Legendary Pokémon, first introduced in Generation 7 with the release of Pokémon: Sun & Moon. Despite being a Legendary Pokémon, its actually a part of three-stage branched evolution line— Cosmog→Cosmoem→Solgaleo/Lunala. Solgaleo’s dual typing lends it an impressive 10 different resistances while being weak to only 4 different types.
Solgaleo in Pokémon GO PvE
Raids
If ever there was a case study in our game on how movesets can make or break a Pokémon’s performance in the game’s meta, this steel lion will potentially be leading that pack, not with a lot of pride though! Have a look at the stats: Max CP of 4570 and an Attack stat of 255! These are really good stats (for reference: Metagross has a Max CP of 4286 and an Attack stat of 257). Its moveset though leaves a lot to be desired. No Steel type Fast Attack and very average Charged Attacks leave Solgaleo not just outside of the meta pack but rather outside of the said meta jungle. Using our DPS Comparer Tool:
As we can see, Solgaleo lags way behind as a Steel raid attacker. If you have a look at the Top Steel Attackers in the game, you will notice that Metagross, despite having pretty similar stats to Solgaleo, sits at #8 on the list. This discrepancy is purely because of the difference in the movepool that Solgaleo and Metagross have access to. Even Solgaleo’s counterpart, Lunala, performs exceedingly well both as a Psychic and as a Ghost raid attacker simply because it has access to better moves, in spite of the fact that both Lunala and Solgaleo have same exact stats. Solgaleo’s performance as a Psychic raid attacker gets even worse! Let’s just not go there!
Solgaleo in Pokémon GO PvP
Ideal Moveset: Fire Spin + Psychic Fangs & Iron Head
Well, Solgaleo barely made any mark in PvE! And Trainers may be wondering—What about PvP? Is the story similar? The Answer: No! Solgaleo can really holds its own when it comes to PvP. Solgaleo, currently is ineligible for Great League. In Ultra League, Solgaleo does have some niche/spice play, but it is in Master League where Solgaleo performs to its full potential.
Master League
While at first glance, players may not think much of Solgaleo, especially when Dusk Mane Necrozma outperforms it, one has to remember that Solgaleo and Dusk Mane Necrozma are distinct Pokémon and both have their own individual match-ups. Just like Black Kyurem and White Kyurem don’t sideline Zekrom or Reshiram, Dusk Mane Necrozma doesn’t render Solgaleo obsolete.
In 1v1 shield scenario, Solgaleo barely has more wins than losses, but if you look at the wins that it has, there is definitely a story to be told. The wins include: Zacian (both forms), Zamazenta (both forms), Metagross, Xerneas, Black and White Kyurems, Dialga (Origin) and Eternatus. These are wins against some of the top meta Pokémon in Master League. Yes, there are some meta losses as well like Lugia, Palkia (Origin), Reshiram and Zekrom. But, on the whole, one can see the anti-meta potential that Solgaleo brings in Master League PvP.
The performance improves even further in 2v2 shields scenario where those Psychic Fangs debuff really add up, while Solgaleo’s own high HP stat of 264 really helps it endure the gruelling length of extended battles. Some of the new wins include Necrozma (both Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings), Lunala, Mewtwo and Zekrom.
Solgaleo’s ideal IV spread for Master League is: 15/15/15, 4570 CP, Level 50.
Is Solgaleo Worth Building?
Yes and No! Of Solgaleo, Lunala and Necrozma—the iconic Light Trio—Solgaleo often takes a backseat in the current meta. Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings Necrzoma are powerhouses, while Lunala also has a lot of meta play, thanks to its access to better moveset.
Having said that, Solgaleo still has a lot of potential, especially in the future. It has the stats, all it needs is just one move update in its favor and Solgaleo will rise and shine: Solgaleo can get access to a Steel fast move like Metal Claw, it can get access to Sunsteel Strike, or it can get some completely new moves like Steel Beam or Expanding Force. Whatever be the case, if you can build a Solgaleo, I believe you should, or at the very least certainly hold on to a high IV one if possible.
Parting Words
And That is it! We are at the end of another meta analysis. While Solgaleo currently may not shine in the PvE meta, it still impacts the PvP meta, and its future potential, as discussed above, remains endless.
Let us know Trainers! Which of the three Light Trio members is your favorite? What do you think of Legendary Pokémon having an evolution line? And as always Stay Safe! and Stay tuned for Lunala meta guide!
