Community Day Surprise: Rage Fist Annihilape and Primeape Rise to the Top!

Rage Fist is a brand new Community Day move that will become available during Mankey Community Day, on Sunday, November 10th, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time. Both Primeape and Annihilape will be able to learn it if evolved during the CD hours, and you should be definitely paying attention to this one: Community Day Annihilape and Primeape with Rage Fist are great in PvP!

Rage Fist Annihilape and Rage Fist Primeape are looking to be top-tier PvP Pokémon, and they are an easy way into PvP, especially Annihilape. let’s get right into it with some dang dirty Apes, starting with our customary Too Long Didn’t Read section…. 🙈🙉🙊

TLDR version of this article

  • No monkeying around: new move Rage Fist is an upgrade to both Annihilape and Primeape that gets it, across all eligible Leagues. This is a very good grind for PvPers, folks!
  • Rage Fist could bring the recently dethroned Annihilape back to prominence, particularly in Great League. I recommend the non-Shadow more, as Annihilape does well with the bulk it brings to the table, and slashing its Defense as a Shadow does more harm than good.
  • For a non-STAB move, it’s kind of neat to see how much this boosts Primeape too. With excellent energy gains, it can oppressively spam a move like Rage Fist and do some very scary things with it, despite its glassiness and risky closing move. And in its case, the Shadow version IS very interesting. This is where I’d focus my attention on any good Shadow Mankeys you have sitting around.

Alright, now onto the details!

Annihilape Stats and Moves

Annihilape FightingGhost

Great League Stats

Attack Defense HP
124 (122 High Stat Product) 106 (106 High Stat Product) 137 (141 High Stat Product)

(Highest Stat Product IVs: 2-15-15, 1499 CP, Level 17)

Ultra League Stats

Attack Defense HP
160 (157 High Stat Product) 138 (138 High Stat Product) 177 (183 High Stat Product)

(Highest Stat Product IVs: 0-15-15, 2492 CP, Level 28.5)

Master League Stats

Attack Defense HP
197 162 215

(Assuming 15-15-15 IVs; 3695 CP at Level 50)

Remember him? Annihilape burst onto the scene in force when it was released earlier this year, deserving not just one, but TWO full analysis articles by yours truly. It’s a bit of a rarity for something to be released into the PvP landscape with all the tools it needs to instantly shake up metas, but that’s exactly what happened with Little Anni, who was instantly high ranked and high performing across ALL Leagues and of course eligible Limited metas as well. For Niantic to give us something so universally good almost felt like a mistake.

That was at least in part due to the stats and typing. Annihilape is the only Fighting/Ghost type in the entire franchise aside from Mythical Pokémon Marshadow… and there’s no realistic way to get Marshie in any League lower than Ultra.

Ghost brings an extra weakness to Ghost damage to the standard set of Fighting vulnerabilities (Fairy, Psychic, and Flying), but it also adds important resistances to Poison, Bug, Fighting and Normal that leave Annihilape with resistances to Poison and Rock, and THREE double resistances: Normal, Bug, and Fighting.

This is a pretty good type combination, folks… especially in formats where Annihilape can expect to face a lot of opposing Fighters.

Annihilape is also surprisingly bulky for a Fighting type, having greater overall stat product and bulk than only a handful of viable Fighters like Poliwrath, Chesnaught, Scrafty, Poliwrath, and Cobalion/Virizion in CP-capped Ultra and Great Leagues, and far higher than its pre-evolution Primeape and fellow Karate Choppers (and current best overall Fighters) Machamp and Pangoro.

So there’s a lot of good here without even looking at the moves… but the moves, and the fast ones in particular, tell the story of Anni’s rise and fall to this point.

Image

Fast Moves

  • CounterFighting type, 4.0 DPT, 3.0 EPT, 1.0 CoolDown
  • Low KickFighting type, 2.0 DPT, 2.5 EPT, 1.5 CD

As with most all viable Fighters prior to this season, Annihilape rose up the ranks not just because of its stats and all, but because it could rely heavily on Counter, formerly one of the best fast moves in the game with its old 4.0 DPT/3.5 EPT. Of course, this season everything has been turned upside down with the buff to fast move Karate Chop (now 2.5 DPT and a massive 4.5 EPT) and the drop of Counter’s EPT to a boringly average 3.0 EPT.

In some ways, Annihilape was hit by this more than most other prominent Fighters. Part of its unique utility and reach has always been its wide, flexible assortment of charge moves, so having its energy generating ability cut down saw it drop a surprisingly brutal number of former wins. Thankfully, with the addition of a new charge move, it’s on the rise again, but the nerf to Counter led directly to its massive drop in this season so far.

– Exclusive/Community Day Move

Charge Moves

  • Rage FistGhost type, 50 damage, 35 energy, Raises User Attack +1 Stage
  • Night SlashDark type, 50 damage, 35 energy, 12.5% Chance to Raise User Attack +2 Stages
  • Low SweepFighting type, 40 damage, 40 energy
  • Ice PunchIce type, 55 damage, 40 energy
  • Close CombatFighting type, 100 damage, 45 energy, Reduces User Defense -2 Stages
  • Shadow BallGhost type, 100 damage, 55 energy

While Ice Punch has some obvious applications (particularly in the Dragon and/or Ground heavy Master League meta), generally Annihilape has run Night Slash as its cheap bait move to this point. Very little resists both Dark and Fighting damage (really just Fairies), so the coverage is good too. But as with Cross Chop on Machamp and… well, Night Slash on Pangoro, Night Slash’s purpose many times is just to set up a big closer. And in Anni’s case, that closer usually ended up being Shadow Ball, a very good move for its cost. Sometimes you’d see Close Combat instead, particularly in Master League, but very often Counter was able to pile on all the Fighting damage Annihilape would need and free up the wide coverage of Fighting, Dark, and Ghost with Counter/Slash/Ball.

The con of Rage Fist — if you can even really call it a major con at all — is that it offers no additional coverage when paired with Shadow Ball. But is that really even a bad thing? The only typing that resists Ghost damage is Normal, and even a hobbled Counter can still tear through those. And what it hits super effectively — Psychic and Ghost types — is the same as you get with Night Slash, and Rage Fist has two massive advantages over Slash: getting the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) damage and a guaranteed Attack buff, as opposed to the comparatively low chance of Night Slash.

Night Slash takes a seat and is just replaced by the better Rage Fist now, for the same energy cost. Of course that does not directly address the lower energy gains of Counter, but as you’ll see, it definitely softens the blow more than Slash ever could.

Rage Fist Annihilape is amazing!

Great League

Let’s get right to it: Annihilape is back. As compared to the standard-until-now Counter/Night Slash/Shadow Ball set, just the simple swap from Slash to Rage Fist nets new wins over Carbink, Shadow Drapion, Chesnaught, Gastrodon, and the biggest gain of all: Clodsire. Other Fighters simply cannot handle Clodsire like Rage Fist Anni can, and that may be its biggest new draw with Clod being all over the freaking place right now. It’s also straight gains in 2v2 shielding (+ Mandibuzz, Shadow Marowak, and Shadow and regular Feraligatr), and nearly a straight upgrade with shields down (gain Charjabug, Toxapex, and Primeape with its own Rage Fist now), though you DO give up Ghost-resistant Diggersby in the process for that last result.

That’s all with double Ghost charge moves, but you CAN run Close Combat if you want to. It does trail Shadow Ball a bit in 1v1 shielding (drops Fighting resistant Ariados, Charjabug, and the mirror match), but it sticks much closer in 2shield (beating everything Shadow Ball can except non-Shadow Gatr) and has advantages of its own with shields down, adding Charj and Primeape as Shadow Ball does, dropping Toxapex, but then adding unique wins over Lickilicky, Gastrodon, and Feraligatr!

Overall I still lean Fist/Shadow Ball, but absolutely some teams and some metas will benefit more from Close Combat. The point is that both are once again very viable — as is Annihilape on the whole — thanks to Rage Fist.

I am less bullish on Shadow Anni, however, which picks up stuff like Talonflame in 1S, Diggersby in 0S, and a bunch of stuff in 2S (including Cresselia, Gastrodon, Serperior, and Azumarill), but gives up too much to get there, IMO, like Charjabug, ShadoWak, Chesnaught, and most importantly, Clodsire across multiple shielding scenarios.

So in short: YES, you want Annihilape in Great League again. Whether that means Elite TMing your old one or evolving a new one is up to you, but make sure you exit the weekend with a newly enraged ghost monkee!

How to get Annihilape in Pokémon Go explained | Radio Times

Ultra League

At this level, the upgrade is similar. As compared to old Annihilape, the new Rage Fist Anni shows a new loss to Venusaur, but that’s not true if you play it the same way you do Night Slash (Slash or Fist followed up by Shadow Ball FTW), and straight gains versus Primeape, Typhlosion, Tentacruel, and even the mighty Zygarde… all while dealing only neutral damage throughout. Other gains include Guzzlord and Greninja (despite them both resisting Ghost damage) as well as Shadow Nidoqueen, Tentacruel, and Virizion with shields down, and many of those same names (Primeape, ShadowQueen, Typhlosion, Tentacruel) plus Shadow Drapion in 2v2 shield matchups. And yet again, I am less enthused about ShadowAnni. Annihilape isn’t QUITE as impressive at this level as it is now (again) in Great League, but there’s no doubt it appreciates this improvement and is ready to carve out a piece of the meta again on the right team.

Master League

Perhaps even less likely for a new breakout is Master League Annihilape. Not because it’s not better with this change, because it definitely is with new wins like Dusk Mane, Zacian, and Metagross in 1shield and Ho-Oh and Rhyperior in 2shield, but more because it still now has to look up to the better-suited Marshadow with its own buffed-this-season Sucker Punch. Annihilape is interesting enough to be worth the build again, at least, especially perhaps for Master League Premier where Marshadow is left on the outside looking in. 👀

So yes, scoop up Rage Fist Annihilape where you can… but don’t forget to save some of its pre-evolution too, because it ALSO gets the new move this Community Day and is ALSO well worth it. Check it out!


Primeape Stats and Moves

Primeape Fighting

Great League Stats

Attack Defense HP
140 (138 High Stat Product) 99 (101 High Stat Product) 115 (117 High Stat Product)

(Highest Stat Product IVs: 1-15-15, 1500 CP, Level 24.5)

Ultra League Stats

Attack Defense HP
182 (180 High Stat Product) 126 (129 High Stat Product) 148 (149 High Stat Product)

(Highest Stat Product IVs: 7-15-15, 2493 CP, Level 50)

Master League Stats

…not this time.

The Ghost subtyping falls away, leaving Primeape as a mono-Fighting type. That means weaknesses to Psychic, Flying, and Fairy damage, and single-level resistances to Dark, Rock, and Bug.

Unfortunately the bulk of Annihilape is also gone. Instead of Top 10 bulk among Fighting types, Primeape sits outside the Top 40, below things like Pangoro, Machamp, Toxicroak, Kommo-O… even Crabominable. Fighters are not generally known for being bulky, but even among them, Primeape is among the glassier options.

But don’t worry… I am actually NOT setting you up for disappointment. In fact, these sort of factors are the only things holding Primeape back. Read on to see why it may be an even bigger winner this Community Day than Annihilape… and it starts with the fast move it has that Anni does not.

– Legacy Move

Fast Moves

  • Karate ChopFighting type, 2.5 DPT, 4.5 EPT, 1.0 CoolDown
  • CounterFighting type, 4.0 DPT, 3.0 EPT, 1.0 CD
  • Low KickFighting type, 2.0 DPT, 2.5 EPT, 1.5 CD

Annihilape, as mentioned, has always run off of Counter, like most of the old guard of top tier Fighters (and quasi-Fighters like Vigoroth, may Arceus rest his soul). Primeape, where it’s been used at all, has also generally run on Counter, but it has another option that has been greatly elevated this season: Karate Chop and its crazy good energy generation. Remember that no other move that generates that much energy deals any higher than 2.0 DPT too. Karate Chop is an amazing move these days, and generally the move that Primeape now wants. Now unfortunately, it IS a Legacy move (as it is for Machamp as well), but as you build a new Primeape with Rage Fist, a Fast Elite TM for Karate Chop is absolutely worth it.

– Exclusive/Community Day Move

Charge Moves

  • Rage FistGhost type, 50 damage, 35 energy, Raises User Attack +1 Stage
  • Night SlashDark type, 50 damage, 35 energy, 12.5% Chance to Raise User Attack +2 Stages
  • Cross ChopFighting type, 55 damage, 35 energy
  • Low SweepFighting type, 40 damage, 40 energy
  • Ice PunchIce type, 55 damage, 40 energy
  • Close CombatFighting type, 100 damage, 45 energy, Reduces User Defense -2 Stages

Very similar moveset to Annihilape, just missing Shadow Ball and adding another Legacy move in Cross Chop. There was a time that that was a preferred move on it too, but even with its buff to 55 damage earlier this year, it’s usually been best with Close Combat as its Fighting-type charge move and closer, and the coverage of Night Slash as the bait move to set it up. Even Ice Punch is usually preferable to Cross Chop for the coverage it can provide, despite costing 5 more energy for the same damage (and actually not even the same damage since it lacks STAB).

But of course, now that all changes with the addition of Rage Fist. It lacks STAB damage like it gets with Annihilape, but when you’re getting the same damage for the same cost and with basically the same coverage as Night Slash, PLUS that guaranteed Attack buff each time, who cares?

Rage Fist Primeape is great!

Great League

Yeah, no big surprise that Rage Fist is strictly better than Night Slash in Great League, with new wins versus Mandibuzz, Talonflame, and fellow Karate Chopper Shadow Machamp (by firing off two Fists to outrace the damage from ShadowChamp, whereas the resisted damage of Night Slash obviously falls short). It also gains new and less risky paths to victory over things like Carbink, which Primeape used to be able to beat with self-nerfing Close Combat, but can now achieve the same win (and actually more efficiently, with a bit more remaining HP) with straight Rage Fist. Now instead of drastically nerfing its own Defense, it comes out of the same battle with four times boosted Attack and not a single nerf.

And despite its typing and lack-of-bulk disadvantages, it achieves the same number of meta wins as Annihilape! And it gets there along a different path, overpowering Lickilicky, Malamar, Mandibuzz, Talonflame, Shadow Marowak, and regular and Shadow Feraligatr, whereas Anni instead outlasts Clodsire, Toxapex, Ariados, Charjabug, and Primeape itself, thanks mostly to its extra resistances. They remain very close to each other in other shielding scenarios too.

And unlike Annihilape, Shadow Primeape brings the sauce. The differences are very minor in 1v1 shielding (Shadow overpowers Serperior but loses out to Talonflame), but in other even shield scenarios, Shadow is overall more threatening. With shields down, ShadowApe adds on Malamar, Gastrodon, Chesnaught, Ariados, Carbink, and even Wigglytuff, giving up only Greninja, Machamp, and Charjabug in the process. And in 2v2 shielding, Clodsire moves into the win column, with NO notable new losses. Nifty! If you have Shadow Mankeys you’ve been waiting to evolve, I’d use them for Primeape rather than Annihilape without hesitation.

Ultra League

The upgrades are similar in Ultra League too, though the price is hefty, as even a 15-15-15 IV Primeape has to be pushed up to Level 47. Is it worth it? Well, it IS a straight upgrade over Night Slash, with new wins versus Virizion, Zygarde, and perhaps most interesting of all, Skeledirge, but the overall win total is still just okay.

…for normal Primeape, that is. For Shadow Primeape… well, see for yourself! 🙉 It’s an amazing upgrade, giving away Virizion but gaining potentially ALL of the following new wins: Altered Giratina, Shadow Golurk, Drifblim, Shadow Dragonite, Talonflame, Mandibuzz, Malamar, and Tentacruel. A Fighting type taking out all those Ghosts and others that resist Fighting damage is pretty remarkable, and Shadow Primeape even manages to punch out things Annihilape cannot like Lickilicky, Guzzlord, Typhlosion, Shadow Feraligatr, and Registeel.

So if you have Shadow Mankeys, turn them into Shadow Primeapes, folks!

Boy Primeape Rage Fist PT.png

Conclusion

You really can’t go wrong with this Community Day. Great, Ultra, and even Master League Annihilapes: all good. Great and Ultra League Primeape: really good too. And UL Primeape requires a lot of XLs, so the grind is good too. Set your priorities based on what League(s) you enjoy the most, and good luck in your hunt!

Alright, that’s it for today! Thanks for reading, and until next time, you can always find me on Twitter with regular Pokémon GO analysis nuggets, or Patreon, if you’re feeling extra generous.

Have a wonderful Community Day, everyone! Stay safe out there, and catch you next time, Pokéfriends.

Author & tags

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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