Charizard is one of the top Fire Starters to be in PvP. He is a pretty solid attacker and can give a lot of surprises to the opponent given his moveset. Charizard has been available in rewards and in raids as well, so you might have one by now. But even if you don’t, trading one is pretty easy nowadays. In this article we will be looking at Charizard and his performance in Great League, to determine whether is good to have one in your team or not.
Charizard
Stats and Moves
Charizard has a Maximum CP of 2889 at Level 40. As a Fire and a type Pokemon, he has a double weakness to Rock moves. He is weak to Electric and Water type Pokemon, and its resistant to Fire Ground Grass Steel Bug and Fairy type Pokemon.
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Charizard
Fire
|
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| Max CP 2889 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATK 223 | DEF 173 | HP 186 | |||
| Weak to | Strong Against | ||||
| Rock x2, Water Electric | Grass Ice Bug Steel | ||||
Charizard has access to the following moves:
| Fast Moves | Charged Moves |
|---|---|
| Fire Spin Fire | Blast Burn Fire |
| Ember Fire | Overheat Fire |
| Wing Attack | Fire Blast Fire |
| Air Slash | Dragon Claw Dragon |
| Flamethrower Fire |
Performance in the Great League
Good:
- Blast Burn is amazing
- Aggressive tempo with Fire Spin / BB / Dragon Claw
- Natural counter to Registeel, Venusaur and Skarmory
- Can’t be touched by Medicham or Tropius
Bad:
- Rock types are a nightmare to deal with
- Magcargo is your greatest enemy
- Needs a strong Water / Grass type as support
You have probably spotted Charizard in more than one battle in the Great League. Charizard is a strong performer here and a great option for a Fire type, provided you don’t have some of the better options. Charizard can easily put down shields with Dragon Claw and Blast Burn, softening your opponent and setting an aggressive battle tempo.
Luckily, the number of Rock type attackers in the Great League is pretty low, ensuring your Charizard won’t be OHKO’d. Of course, this does not apply if your opponent has a Bastiodon, a commonly found pick that hard counters Charizard. If your opponent has a Bastiodon, run for your life. Swap your Pokemon immediately, get rid of Bastiodon and then try again.
Charizard works well in teams with Venusaur, Roserade, and strong Water types. With that combination, you are sure that Charizard has a safety net behind it, swapping in a little help and assistance. Despite its Rock weakness, Charizard is among the top 40 attackers in the Great League according to PvPoke.
Ideal Movesets
| Fast move | Fire Spin |
| Charge move | Blast Burn |
| Second charge move | Dragon Claw |
If you played during the May 2018 Community Day, then you should have at least one Blast Burn Charizard, and it’s exactly what we want for our Great League Charizard. Blast Burn is the best charge move for Charizard, as it is the case for all other BB starters.
If you combine Blast Burn with his fastest Fast Move, Fire Spin, you get a really impressive offensive potential. Charizard will attack faster, charge faster, and deal damage faster than many other GL Pokemon. Since Blast Burn deals strong damage, it will force your opponent to use shields to defend itself, even when he has the upper hand in typing. If you don’t happen to have a Blast Burn Charizard, you can try with Overheat, but your mileage may vary, as it’s a serious step down from BB.
Dragon Claw is an excellent second move for Charizard, as it gives it a chance to deal neutral damage in scenarios where you are out-typed. Quick to charge, easy to fire and deals solid damage, DC can give your Charizard extra mileage and versatility.
If you are planning to use Charizard as a Flying type, we advise to rethink that decision. Its best Flying move is Air Slash, but Charizard is outclassed by other many other Flying type attackers, like Altaria. If possible, always keep Charizard as a Fire type attacker.
Should you unlock a second charge move for Charizard?
Yes.
It’s not mandatory, but in many cases it could come in handy. As a starter Pokemon, it cost 10k Stardust and 25 Candy to unlock, which is pretty low when compared to other second charge moves. Of course, you are aiming for Dragon Claw as your second move.
If you’re not willing to invest, you should do just fine with Blast Burn, but be aware that you should unlock it eventually.
Conclusion
Charizard is an excellent performer in the Great League. His performance makes him worthy powering it up, and it’s a better choice to use than Typhlosion due to better typing. If you don’t have a Blast Burn Charizard, make sure you get one by trading it with a friend. In case you do not, Overheat is still a pretty strong attack, so no matter where you are, your Charzard is going to be a great choice either way.
