‘Stay tuned’ was the phrase that we received at the initial announcement of Season 6 for GO Battle League which left the community eagerly anticipating. The wait is now over and we have confirmed information regarding the second half of Season 6 for GO Battle League.
This announcement presents us with the remaining league format shift alongside reward updates with new and exciting move updates which are guaranteed to shake things up in today’s current meta.
Let’s break down this announcement and discuss keypoints about these upcoming changes.
League Format Summary
The Great League will run from Monday, January 11, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, January 25, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8).
The Ultra League and its Premier Cup will run from Monday, January 25, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, February 8, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8).
The Master League, its Premier Cup, Master League Classic, and a to-be-announced special cup will run from Monday, February 8, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, February 15, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8). More information on this special cup will be announced soon.
All three leagues and the Ultra League Premier Cup will run from Monday, February 15, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, February 22, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8).
The Kanto Cup will run from Monday, February 22, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, March 1, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8). The CP limit for this cup will be 1,500, and only Pokémon with a Pokédex number between 001 and 151 will be allowed. During this period, your rating will be unaffected.
As we can see, it seems as though the second half of Season 6 will act as a full circle restarting with Great League and making its natural progression up to Master League.
We have been teased with the announcement of a ‘special’ cup starting February 8th but don’t have much information on this as of yet. The Kanto Cup will be making a return after Master League starting February 22nd which we have seen in Season 5.
Personally, I can see the first half of Season 6 as a warm-up for what’s to come. Trial and error have led to this second half and the competition will be fierce. Trainers will be competing to get to Rank 24 and with the following move changes listed below, things are sure to get intense on the battlefield.
Reward Update
When you reach rank 20, you’ll be guaranteed to encounter Frillish, which is making its Pokémon GO debut! You’ll have a chance of encountering it on the rewards tracks for higher ranks, too!
At rank 19, you’ll now receive an Elite Charged TM. You’ll also receive an Elite Fast TM as an end-of-season reward if you reach rank 19.
Frillish
Frillish will now be available as an encounter reward for winning battles in GO Battle League. Frillish is a Water & Ghost Pokémon. It is vulnerable to Grass, Dark, Ghost and Electric moves. Frillish’s strongest moveset is Bubble & Ice Beam and it has a Max CP of 1,257. Frillish evolves into Jellicent.
Jellicent
Jellicent is a [water] and Ghost type Pokémon with a max CP of 2644 making it a strong Pokémon in Ultra League. Jellicent has 159 attack, 178 defence and 225 stamina in Pokemon GO. It was originally found in the Unova region (Gen 5). Jellicent is vulnerable to Dark, Electric, Ghost and Grass type moves. Jellicent’s best moves are Bubble and Shadow Ball (11.78 DPS)
Attack Updates
The following attacks will be updated for Trainer Battles:
Ember: This Fire type Fast Attack will now deal more damage.
Karate Chop: This Fighting type Fast Attack will now generate more energy.
Bubble: This Water type Fast Attack will now deal less damage.
Razor Leaf: This Grass type Fast Attack will now deal less damage.
Crabhammer: This Water type Charged Attack will now deal more damage.
Sky Attack: This type Charged Attack will now deal less damage.
Rock Slide: This Rock type Charged Attack will now deal less damage.
Shadow Bone: This Ghost type Charged Attack will now deal less damage.
The following attacks will be available to Pokémon that couldn’t learn them before:
Weather Ball: Fire: This powerful Fire type attack will now be available to Vulpix and Ninetales originally discovered in the Kanto region.
Weather Ball: Ice: This powerful Ice type attack will now be available to Vulpix and Ninetales originally discovered in the Alola region.
Weather Ball: Water: This powerful Water type attack will now be available to Politoed.
Ice Punch: This powerful Ice type attack will now be available to Primeape.
Ice Beam: This powerful Ice type attack will now be available to Claydol.
Shadow Ball: This powerful Ghost type attack will now be available to Claydol.
Tri Attack: This powerful Normal type attack will now be available to Porygon-2.
Mud Shot: This powerful Ground type Fast Attack will now be available to Excadrill.
These move changes will mix up the meta, popular Pokémon and strategies have now been nerfed, with notable Pokémon being Azumaril with Bubble now dealing less damage, to the infamous ‘Grasshole‘ strategy with Razor Leaf now dealing less damage. Will we see an entirely new meta from these move changes?
These nerfs also effect popular Pokémon such as Skarmory with Sky Attack, Stunfisk (Galarian) with Rock Slide and also Marowak (Alolan) with Shadow Bone.
From these newly introduced moves that certain Pokémon can now learn, some stick out more than others. Take for example, Primeape, which now has access to Ice Punch which will be able to deal with type Pokémon which normally hard countered Primeape in the past. Not only does this change benefit Primeape, it now can generate energy faster with the buff to Karate Chop.
Kanto Nintetails will also be a solid candidate with these changes with the damage increase to Ember and it now having access to Weather Ball Fire.
These changes are exciting nevertheless and we can’t wait to see what kind of Pokémon and tactic people will use in the second half of Season 6.
Best of luck, trainers! and remember to stay safe.
