Last run of ML Classic - favorite memories

Pokemon GO
#1

This next rotation will be the last time we get a Classic cup in GBL. While this has been a…very controversial move on the part of Niantic, I’m sure many of us are going to be getting our last kicks before either resigning from ML altogether or dumping insane amounts of candy/stardust into making a lvl50 team.

What have been some of your favorite ML Classic teams?

What 'mon are you taking out one last time before retiring them from ML?

Share your ML Classic experiences and memories here! As for me, I will probably be using a bunch this season since ML open is largely inaccessible for many of my 'mon.

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#2

my first time ever playing master league in any form was last season, i only have 4 level 40 mons that aren’t for gl/ul, but I’m loving it right now and I’m gonna miss it, i don’t play enough to have fully leveled xl mons anytime in the next year or maybe even two lol.

Happier thoughts though, i just went 5-0 for the first time in master league, currently sitting right at 2000 elo and have been playing a fun and unique team, all three are 4* lvl 40.

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Mamoswine, togekiss, chandelure(incinerate)

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#3

I never liked it much, but I still remember using my smack down rhyperior with surf and superpower quite nicely several seasons ago when everyone was running the Dragonite/togekiss core. Now going with a triple shadow team, since I maxed my swampert and Dragonite for raids.

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#4

I’m hugely disappointed that ML Classic is on the way out. I don’t have the resources, or the desire, to power my team a long way beyond level 40.

My standard team is Dialga/Lugia/Metagross. It’s incredibly weak against Excadrill and Melmetal and I usually quit if my opponent leads with one. It’s just not worth the effort. However, it’s an absolute delight if they lead with Dragonite or Garchomp. It’s also fun against Togekiss.

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#5

The only time I played ML Classic was recently when it was a “GBL day” and an Elite TM was available for completing a certain number of battles. As I have no interest in powering things to level 50, Classic was the obvious choice that day as I have some level 40s. I did surprisingly well with a Dragonite led team so I will be bummed if forced to compete in ML Open on the next GBL day which coincides with Master League, However, I assume there will be a lot of newbs & trainers using underpowered Mons in that circumstance so maybe I can even win a few matches.

Niantic are jerks for changing this, but what do they know as they don’t even play their own game … apparently.

#6

Ive been out of the loop a while so this is the first I’m hearing of them retiring classic cups…wow…

I just got a respectable crew of level 40 mons for the classic cup like last season and I’m light years away from getting anything to level 50. I’m guessing they did this because next to no one plays non-classic masters?

The classic cup is kind of fun. I think giving Dragonite superpower and powering down charm made it pretty interesting. I went multiple seasons naysaying it because of its lack of variety, but recently I learned you can really climb if you know what you’re doing. The meta is set in stone and doesn’t really change so you just need a game plan for the 8 or 9 different Pokémon you’ll see and you’re all good. Not like great league where that one Pokémon just shows up and rails your whole team.

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#7

People are not raiding as much, they worked out part of the reason is you only truly need level 50s for open ML, hence make this the only option.

The open ML meta is dominated by level 50 mons that people could build, melmeltan, dragonite, togekiss, garchomp, metagross… basically decent pokemon that had community days or have accesible XL.

Then passed a certain point you really find the whales who have legendaries and mythicals at level 50 like dialga, mewtwo, oh-ho, palkia, zacian, groudon, etc.

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#8

I don’t have any numbers, but I think that is a major reason for Open ML being the primary option.

The point that I started seeing all of them was rank 3 or 4 :grimacing:

#9

Rank does not matter much, if you see this pokemon is because your “hidden rating” is probably quite high.

Is there a rating where pretty much everone brings aquads with 3 legendaries at level 50?

For myself I think the changes will benefit my main account as I have a palkia and zacian at 50 and now I may be facing more players with underleveled pokemon. However my second account will be having trouble it lacks stardust and XL candy to power up things much beyond 40.

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#10

I’m not sure about what my rating was, but I think that another part is that there are plenty of open ML specialists who begin playing when ML arrives. So on the 1st day of ML, seeing full meta, level 50 meta teams isn’t surprising.

Right now the full legendary teams are around 2350 and up.

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#11

So take an already limited meta and make it even smaller :roll_eyes: Yeah, open ML is not for me. I’m enjoying using my Arcanine and Florges in Classic. Even Ursaluna is doing alright! Decent bulk and Pound does a good bit of chip damage such that it can bully its way through even ‘bad’ matchups. Doing a KO on Gyarados in the 0-0 will never not be fun :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

#12

Open ML isn’t that bad. While you will still see plenty of Zacian, Dialga, M2, Giratina, there is just as much of Dragonite or anything double steel, Mamoswine and the Metagross/Garchomp core. Last season I saw Draggy double steel, Chomp and Metagross into the 2600’s. I’m at 2369 and I don’t see many charmers. It seems like the Charm nerf has had the biggest effect on open ML. As long as you have a general idea of what to expect, you can do well in open ML.

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#13

Yes and no, the moment I got my Zacian at level 50 half way through last season I went up 200 in rating in the next 20 battles (without knowing how to use it mostly).

There is only so far that you can get with level 40 pokemon or level 50 non legendary ones.

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#14

Yep.
Facing a hard wall at 2400 with lvl 48 Dragonite, 47 Metagross and 43 genesect (ice)
Still quite ok.
I am sure with better play you can get to 2800 without a legendary lvl 50 though

#15

This^
If you can’t play at the level cap, you are going to be handicapped. Doesn’t matter if some people are using lvl42 'mon, because if someone can use a lvl50, you will lose matchups and you must be playing at lvl50 in order to be competitive. You wouldn’t bring a 2000CP 'mon to UL and expect to win, don’t bring a lvl40 to open ML and expect to win either.

#16

Well, sometimes i do use a lvl 40-42 mon. And sometimes i win. Even at 2300. That’s fine, I’m happy with the higher level of stardust. It always depends what you’re up to. If you want to climb, I’d never play the leagues I’m bad at. But for me it doesn’t matter anyway, I’ll never reach legend (maybe because I don’t care too much) and I’m already veteran, completely enough for me. And the 2000 you’ll reach anyway even with a lvl 40 team

#17

I use an underpowered groudon because I think it is a better fit than some of the level 50 options that I have (In need something against metals to help Zacian and Palkia). I still win plenty of battles with it but not as many as I could if it was level 50, a lot of them go to the wire and both players have a tiny amount of energy left, that is when you feel frustrated missing this extra damage/HP in your underpowered mon. Still, I do not care much about PvP, just want to rank 20 as soon as possible and give up.

What other non legendary would be a good companion for Palkia/Zacian?

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#18

Did you try Metagross and/or excadrill? The latter worse vs Mewtwo though. Both bad vs ghost dragons, but for this you have the other two.

#19

I did not try them

The palkia/zacian core struggles with metagross, giratina-A, dialga & zekrom of the current meta… excadrill could also cover these. Not sure about metagross itself. I have both at level 50 so could try them easily and let you know.

My ideal companion would be lugia but I only have 30XL candy. I want to try it at 40 and see how it does.

#20

I’m using a similar team: Palkia, Xerneas and Mewtwo. All level 40, perform decently so far in 150 battles. My eventual plan is to replace Mewtwo by Solgaleo when it’s more accessible. I think Excadrill is a great budget steel counter, or Melmetal. Metagross doesn’t threaten Dialga too much when shields are up, and the losing matchups are too bad (vs Ho-Oh, Groudon, Giratina-O).