As the name implies, Pokemon GO’s Sinnoh Stones are used to evolve many Pokemon originating from Generation IV’s Sinnoh region. They are a precious resource for both collectors and battle-focused trainers.
As Sinnoh Stones can initiate over a dozen evolutions in Pokemon GO, players concerned with battling may be wondering which Sinnoh evolutions are ideal for combat.
Fortunately, these evolved Pokemon have been released for some time, and the Pokemon GO community has compiled data on each of them to better understand and address that issue.
By breaking down each Pokemon’s utility in PvE and PvP while also examining their stats, Pokemon GO trainers can begin to reason which evolutions they’d like to use their Sinnoh Stones on.
Pokemon GO: Breakdown of Sinnoh Stone evolutions
Before diving into the top Sinnoh Stone evolutions in Pokemon GO, it’s important to know which evolutions a Sinnoh Stone can actually activate:
- Budew > Roselia > Roserade
- Elekid > Electabuzz > Electivire
- Duskull > Dusclops > Dusknoir
- Gligar > Gliscor
- Magby > Magmar > Magmortar
- Misdreavus > Mismagius
- Murkrow > Honchkrow
- Porygon > Porygon2 > Porygon-Z
- Ryhorn > Rhydon > Rhyperior
- Sneasel > Weavile
- Togepi > Togetic > Togekiss
- Swinub > Piloswine > Mamoswine
- Aipom > Ambipom
- Yanma > Yanmega
- Tangela > Tangrowth
- Lickytung > Lickilicky
- Ralts → Kirlia > Gallade
- Snorunt > Froslass
By comparing the raw maximum CP of each evolution, these Pokemon GO rankings shake out as follows:
- Rhyperior (4221)
- Togekiss (3767)
- Mamoswine (3763)
- Porygon-Z (3693)
- Magmortar (3541)
- Gallade (3497)
- Electivire (3481)
- Tangrowth (3425)
- Weavile (3397)
- Roserade (3359)
- Yanmega (3330)
- Honchkrow (3065)
- Gliscor (3043)
- Mismagius (2957)
- Lickilicky (2789)
- Ambipom (2733)
- Dusknoir (2700)
- Froslass (2306)
Though this narrows the choices for Pokemon GO trainers, CP doesn’t tell the whole story. Some Pokemon on this list have better stat ceilings despite the CP disadvantage. For example, Mamoswine has a higher max attack (247) compared to Rhyperior (241), despite not having as high of a CP cap.
Utility also matters as many of the weaker CP picks on this list have performed well in specific Pokemon GO Battle League Cups such as Froslass.
Picking the best Pokemon from these evolutions will depend on what the trainer is looking for. However, there are some consistently solid choices that many players will be happy with when it comes to battle capabilities:
- Rhyperior: Somewhat implied due to its sizable CP and attack ceilings, Rhyperior is currently the only Pokemon in Pokemon GO that knows the powerful legacy charged move Rock Wrecker. As a counter to many raid bosses in Pokemon GO, Rhyperior is a savage source of damage.
- Togekiss: Ranked in PvPoke’s current top 10 list of best Master League PvP picks, Togekiss is the only Fairy-type to make that list. Its wide variety of moves and generally well-rounded stats make it unpredictable in high-level PvP combat. It can devastate Dragon, Dark, and Fighting-type Pokemon with its moves Charm and Dazzling Gleam.
- Weavile: Though its CP isn’t the highest, Weavile is an exceptional counter to many raid bosses. Its movesets, comprising Snarl and moves like Avalanche or Foul Play, can play very well in type advantages in raids along with a solid team. Weavile also showcases a higher attack stat than Rhyperior, with a maximum of 243.
- Mamoswine: With a huge attack and stamina ceiling, Mamoswine can hit hard and take a beating to match. Additionally, Mamoswine has a moveset split among Ice, Ground, and Rock-type moves, making it a hulking and versatile counter.
- Porygon-Z: Though it may seem unimposing, Porygon-Z’s maximum attack stat of 264 makes it an offensive pick. Though it can’t take much damage due to its middling defense and stamina stats, being a Normal-type Pokemon means it only has one elemental weakness (Fighting-type moves).
- Magmortar/Electivire: Despite having disparate stats and CP caps, Magmortar and Electivire both serve as effective counters, which gives them a similar role in PvE in particular. Magmortar excels at taking out Steel, Grass, Ice and Bug-type Pokemon, while Electivire handles Water and Flying-types. Magmortar’s versatility gives it a slight edge, but Electivire is no slouch either.
- Froslass: It won’t win many standup PvE battles with fairly non-threatening stats in Pokemon GO, but Froslass has been an occasional pick in special PvP cups such as the Silph Road community’s Silph Nightfall cup. It is also known to be a fairly dangerous safe swap in Battle League’s Great League. It has fallen out of favor somewhat over the course of Season 8, but it may rise in prominence again in later season metas.
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