Gigantamax Machamp is flexing its muscles in Pokémon Go, bringing a new level of challenge to Max Battles with its devastating Fighting-type power. To topple this powerhouse, trainers must master its weaknesses to Flying, Psychic, and Fairy moves, assemble a team of top-tier counters like Dynamax Metagross and Moltres, and coordinate strategies that go beyond simple tapping. Ready your strongest Pokémon and gear up-victory against Gigantamax Machamp demands both strength and savvy.
Machamp will specifically appear as part of Gigantamax Machamp Max Battle Day on Sunday, May 25, from 2-5 p.m. in your local time, appearing at power spots every 30 minutes or so. (This also comes hot off the heels of a Machop Community Day event the day before, so make sure to stock up on Machop Candy!)
Below we list Gigantamax Machamp’s best counters and weaknesses in Pokémon Go, as well as general battle tips for the big guy.
Gigantamax Machamp weakness
Gigantamax Machamp, a pure Fighting-type Pokémon in Pokémon GO, has clear weaknesses to Flying, Psychic, and Fairy-type moves. These types exploit its vulnerabilities effectively, making them the best choices for counters in Max Battles. Trainers should focus on using Pokémon with strong moves of these types, such as Metagross, Dynamax Moltres, and Dynamax Unfezant, to maximize damage. Avoid using Rock, Bug, and Dark-type moves as Machamp resists these, reducing their effectiveness. Proper preparation with leveled-up counters and coordinated team strategies is essential to overcome Gigantamax Machamp’s high attack power and stamina in raids.
Machamp has a few weaknesses, though there’s only a few we can really take advantage of: flying-, psychic-, and fairy-type moves.
That being said, it’ll be resistant against rock-, bug-, and dark-type moves, so don’t use those unless they’re just fast moves to help charge the max meter.
Gigantamax Machamp best counters
The best counters for Gigantamax Machamp in Pokémon GO are primarily Pokémon that can exploit its weaknesses to Flying, Psychic, and Fairy-type moves. Top attackers include Dynamax Metagross with Zen Headbutt, Dynamax Moltres and Unfezant with Flying-type moves, and Gigantamax Venusaur. Other strong options are Zacian – Crowned Sword and Zamazenta – Crowned Shield. For defenders, Pokémon like Gigantamax Gengar, Blissey, Zapdos, and Dynamax Blastoise are effective choices. Coordinating a balanced team with attackers, defenders, and healers is crucial to successfully take down Gigantamax Machamp, especially in large group raids requiring 16 or more trainers.
Try to bring at least one of these attackers:
- Dynamax Metagross with Zen Headbutt (Max Mindstorm)
- Dynamax Moltres with Wing Slash (Max Airstream)
- Dynamax Unfezant with Air Slash (Max Airstream)
- Dynamax Charizard with Air Slash (Max Airstream)
Yep, you read that right – Dynamax Charizard, not Gigantamax. Gigantamax Charizard will always have G-Max Wildfire as its attack, regardless of what its fast move is set to, and in this case, you want a flying-type max move. That said, you can still bring a powered-up Gigantamax Charizard if that’s what you’ve got! Bring anything that can bring the damage; the list above is just the best stuff to bring.
As of this writing, there’s a Timed Research set that will reward you with a Dynamax Beldum, alongside Beldum Candy to help you prepare for this tough fight, so you should invest in that if you can.
For defenders/tanks, bring one or two of the following:
- Dynamax Blissey with Pound
- Dynamax/Gigantamax Gengar with Lick
- Dynamax/Gigantamax Venusaur with Vine Whip
- Dynamax/Gigantamax Blastoise with Water Gun
These guys’ job is just to soak up the damage from Machamp while generating as much energy as possible with their fast attacks. Note that your mileage may vary here – if Machamp knows Close Combat, your Blissey may have a harder time. If Machamp knows Payback, then your Gengar might be in trouble. If possible, bringing one of each and then swapping depending on Machamp’s moveset is going to be the to-go strategy here when it comes to tanking.
Consider just bringing the strongest Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon you have. If you have a maxed out Gigantamax Toxtricity and your Dynamax Metagross isn’t leveled (and you don’t have the means to power it up), just bring your Toxtricity.
General Gigantamax Machamp tips
To effectively battle Gigantamax Machamp in Pokémon GO, preparation and teamwork are crucial. Since it is a pure Fighting-type Pokémon, it has notable weaknesses to Flying, Psychic, and Fairy-type moves, so bringing attackers with these typings is essential. Recommended counters include Dynamax Metagross with Zen Headbutt, Dynamax Moltres, Unfezant, and Charizard with Flying-type moves, as well as G-Max Gengar for high DPS. It is important to have a well-coordinated team of 10 to 40 players, equipped with leveled-up counters and boosted Max Moves. Using shielding and healing strategically during the fight will increase your chances of success. Additionally, employing a mix of attackers, defenders like Blissey or Zapdos, and chargers with fast moves to quickly reach the Dynamax phase will help manage the intense damage output of Gigantamax Machamp.
If you’ve been struggling in Max Battles, here’s some general tips to survive – and make sure you’re an asset to your team. Gigantamax battles involve way more strategy than the usual rampant tapping that you do in raids, so make sure to know what you’re doing before jumping in.
- Make sure you have enough players. High-efficiency groups with maxed out investments can take down the Machamp with fewer people, but practically, if you don’t have hundreds of spare candy and even more Stardust laying around, this isn’t going to be an option for you. Make sure you have as many people as possible to ensure that you get your beefy muscle man.
- Don’t sleep on Max Spirit and Max Guard. Teams work best when there’s a variety of moves, not just maxed-out attacks. Each player should bring Pokémon with the defensive and healing moves unlocked as well. Max Guard will focus single-target damage towards you and reduce the damage taken; Max Spirit will heal the whole party. These moves are really important to make sure your damage-dealers can keep dishing.
- Remember to swap to super effective moves when it’s time to Dynamax. For Dynamax Pokémon, their max moves are determined by whatever type their fast move is. This means if you have a Darmanitan with Fire Fang, it will know Max Flare. A Gengar with Lick will know Max Phantasm. Take advantage of this and make sure to swap to a Pokémon that will deal super effective damage to your target before Dynamaxing, if you can.
- Focus on your fast moves. You want to spam your fast moves to build up that Dynamax meter and often times, using your charge move is actually a DPS loss when compared to the damage you could be doing with your max move will be. Spam those attacks!
- Level up a few ’mons, but you don’t have to go too hard. Depending on your group size, you absolutely do not need to max out all your Dynamax Pokémon to level 40-50. While this will make it easier on the rest of your group, if this isn’t an investment you can make, you don’t have to stress about it. Power things up as high as you can afford to, but don’t fret if you don’t have a maxed out Pokémon.
- All of that said, make sure to come as prepared as you can be. This is a team effort and there’s a chance that a full group of four can still fail. Do not just bring your unleveled Dynamax Wooloo expecting a free ride to a powerful Pokémon. (After all, if everyone does that, then you certainly won’t clear the battle.) Again, you don’t have to completely max out your Pokémon, but it will be better for everyone involved if you bring something helpful to the table.
- Keep your eye out for a shiny Machamp! If you clear the raid, there is a chance that the Machamp you catch will be shiny – which also means it’ll be a guaranteed catch. Use a Pinap Berry to score extra candy if you get lucky enough to find a sparkly Machamp.
How can I exploit Gigantamax Machamp’s weaknesses effectively in Pokémon Go
To effectively exploit Gigantamax Machamp’s weaknesses in Pokémon Go, focus on its vulnerabilities to Flying, Psychic, and Fairy-type moves. Assemble a team featuring top counters such as Dynamax Metagross with Zen Headbutt, Dynamax Moltres with Wing Slash, and Dynamax Unfezant with Slash, as these maximize damage output against Machamp’s pure Fighting type.
Key strategies include:
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Prioritize using Pokémon with super-effective moves from the mentioned types and ensure their Max Moves are powered up for maximum impact.
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Avoid using Rock-, Bug-, or Dark-type moves as Machamp resists these, and be cautious of its charged moves like Close Combat and Payback, which can quickly knock out certain defenders.
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Use sturdy defenders such as Dynamax Blissey and Gigantamax Gengar to absorb damage and maintain team longevity, switching strategically based on Machamp’s move set.
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Coordinate with a sufficient number of players (10 to 40) to ensure sustained pressure and survivability during the Max Battle.
Additionally, if Machamp has particularly dangerous moves like Close Combat or Payback, consider relobbying to avoid these setups, as they can be extremely difficult to counter effectively. Leading with Pokémon that can quickly build energy and timing your Dynamax phases to unleash powerful Max Moves while managing shields and healing will further improve your chances of victory.
This combined approach of exploiting type weaknesses, selecting optimal counters, and employing tactical battle management is essential to defeating Gigantamax Machamp in Pokémon Go.
What are the most effective Flying, Psychic, and Fairy moves against Machamp
The most effective Flying, Psychic, and Fairy moves against Machamp in Pokémon Go are:
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Flying moves: Wing Attack (Fast) combined with Hurricane or Brave Bird (Charge) are top choices, with Pokémon like Pidgeot and Talonflame excelling using these moves due to high damage output and type advantage.
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Psychic moves: Confusion or Zen Headbutt as Fast moves paired with Psychic or Psyshock as Charge moves are highly effective. Pokémon such as Mewtwo, Mega Alakazam, Azelf, and Starmie benefit from these moves to exploit Machamp’s Fighting weakness.
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Fairy moves: Fast moves like Charm or Fairy Wind combined with powerful Charge moves such as Dazzling Gleam, Play Rough, or Moonblast deliver strong super-effective damage. Togekiss and Sylveon are notable Fairy-type counters using these moves.
Using these moves with Pokémon that have the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) further increases damage, making them the best options to counter Machamp’s Fighting type effectively.
