GO Battle League for beginners (Great, Ultra and Master League)
BattleLast checked 2026-10-31
In 3 lines
- GO Battle League opens at Trainer level 10. You battle other Trainers with 3 Pokémon and 2 shields each.
- Each league has a CP cap: Little Cup 500, Great League 1,500 and Ultra League 2,500. Master League has no cap.
- You can play up to 5 sets a day, and from rank 20 you get a rating that matches you with players of similar skill.
Leagues and CP caps
| League | CP cap |
|---|---|
| Little Cup | 500 |
| Great League | 1,500 |
| Ultra League | 2,500 |
| Master League | None |
Leagues rotate on a set schedule each season, and cups that limit types or regions sometimes run in between.
Battle rules
- Pick 3 Pokémon. Each side starts with 2 shields.
- Fast Attacks build energy, and once it's full you can use a Charged Attack. You can block your opponent's Charged Attacks with shields.
- Switching has a cooldown. When your opponent sends out a bad matchup for you, decide whether to switch or use a shield.
- Move power and energy in GO Battle League differ from raids. A move that's strong in raids isn't necessarily strong in GO Battle League.
Your day in the league
- You can play up to 5 sets a day (1 set = 5 battles).
- Rewards get better as your rank goes up, and from rank 20 you get a rating.
- Wins give you reward encounters, and you can sometimes catch Pokémon that only appear as league rewards (Pokémon caught this way have IVs of 10 or higher in each stat).
Picking Pokémon for Great and Ultra League
In leagues with a CP cap, the lower the Attack IV, the higher you can level up at the same CP, which makes Defense and HP bigger. That's why a Pokémon with fewer stars is sometimes stronger (How to read IVs and appraisals). You can view two Pokémon's stats and matchups side by side in Compare Pokémon.
Checklist
- Power up without going over your league's CP cap
- Keep your three Pokémon's types from overlapping
- Don't use all your shields at once; watch your opponent's energy
Sources
- Bulbapedia: GO Battle League — league, set and rank rules
- Site data: CP caps by league from the game rules settings (config/rules.json)
Related Pokémon & events
- Medicham
- Azumarill
- Corviknight
More in Battle
- Raids and Remote Raid PassesRaids open at Trainer level 5. Up to 20 Trainers team up to defeat and catch a boss that appears at a Gym.
- Beating raids alone (how to use the solo simulator)Anyone can solo a 1-star raid, and six powered-up Pokémon of the boss's weakness types can solo a 3-star. 5-star raids usually need several players.
- Mega Evolution guide (Mega Energy and Mega Level)Mega Evolution spends Mega Energy to make a Pokémon stronger for a set time, and in raids it also powers up everyone attacking with the same type.
- Pokémon GO type chart (multipliers differ from the main series)In GO, super effective is 1.6× and not very effective is 0.625×, and the main series' 'no effect' becomes 0.39× instead.
- Weather boost guide (which types get stronger in each weather)Each in-game weather boosts certain types, and moves of those types deal 1.2× damage.
- Max Battles and Dynamax for beginnersIn a Max Battle, you spend Max Particles at a Power Spot to fight a Dynamax Pokémon. Win, and you can catch that Dynamax Pokémon.
- Choosing IVs for PvP (low Attack wins in Great and Ultra League)In leagues with a CP cap, the lower the Attack IV, the higher you can level up within the same CP, which makes Defense and HP bigger.
- Team GO Rocket guide (Grunts, Leaders, the Boss and Rocket Radars)Find Grunts at dark, twitching PokéStops or Team GO Rocket balloons. Beat them for a chance to catch a Shadow Pokémon.
Game rules and numbers can change, so each article shows when it was last checked. Articles are rechecked once that date is 6 months old. If you spot a mistake, let us know with 'Report an error' at the bottom of the page.