Best moveset for Tapu Lele in Pokemon GO & is it any good?
One of the four Guardian Deities, Tapu Lele sports a rare but potent Psychic/Fairy dual-typing, and starting on March 21, 2024, it'll return as a Boss in 5-Star Raids in Pokemon GO.
But is the Land Spirit worth using, especially now it has access to the Fairy-type Charged Move Nature's Madness? Let's review the best moveset for Tapu Lele and how this Pokemon fares in the mobile game.
Tapu Lele best moveset in Pokemon GO
Generally, the best moveset for Tapu Lele in PvE and PvP uses Confusion as the Fast Move and Nature's Madness and Psyshock as the Charged Moves.
While Astonish generates a lot of energy, it doesn't benefit from STAB or synergise with any of Tapu Lele's Charged Moves. You may find niche uses for Astonish, but in the majority of scenarios, it's simply outclassed by Confusion. Confusion benefits from STAB, generates energy at a reasonable rate, and is quite powerful for a Fast Move.
With the introduction of Nature's Madness to Tapu Lele's moveset, it overtakes Moonblast as the best Charged Move for the Land Spirit Pokemon. Nature's Madness, the signature move of the Guardian Deities, is similar to Moonblast but better. Nature's Madness debuffs opposing Pokemon much more reliably than Moonblast while costing less energy and still dealing respectable damage. And like Moonblast, it gives Tapu Lele a potent Fairy-type attack to use in unison with the Psychic-type moves of Confusion and Psyshock.
Speaking of Psyshock, it's pretty much required, given Tapu Lele's stats and the options it has for Charged Moves. Tapu Lele is a fragile Pokemon, so you can't expect it to last too long in battles. However, many of Tapu Lele's Charged Moves, like Future Sight, Focus Blast, and even Moonblast, cost a great deal of energy, which Tapu Lele can't dependably generate with Confusion.
Click to enlargeAll moves Tapu Lele can learn
Tapu Lele can learn two Fast Moves and five Charged Moves, which I've outlined below:
Fast Moves
- Confusion (Psychic)
- Astonish (Ghost)
Charged Moves
- Nature's Madness
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Moonblast
- Future Sight
You'll need to use an Elite TM or wait for a special event to teach your Tapu Lele Nature's Madness, but aside from that, all these moves are teachable with a Fast TM or Charged TM.
Is Tapu Lele any good?
Unfortunately, Tapu Lele is not very good, especially in PvP Battles. Its Psychic/Fairy-typing is top-tier, but there are simply better options at all levels of Pokemon GO.
You can't use Tapu Lele in the Great League, but the Guardian Deity of Akala Island is the worst-ranking of the Tapu quartet in both the Ultra and Master Leagues. PvPoke has Tapu Lele listed embarrassingly low at #563 in the Ultra League, and while its spot at #139 in the Master League is leaps and bounds better, it's clearly not an optimal Pokemon for Trainer Battles.
One of the biggest things holding it back right now is its lack of a Fairy-type Fast Move, meaning it can't get a proper Fairy-type STAB moveset like Xerneas, Florges, and other PvP favourites can.
In Tapu Lele's defence, it does have some redeeming qualities. While brittle, it's a solid attacker all-around, and its typing lends itself well as a counter to the Dragon-type Pokemon prevalent in the Master League. And if you need a dual-type Psychic/Fairy attacker for Raid Battles, you can definitely make do with this Legendary Pokemon.
If you're after a stronger Psychic/Fairy-type, Gardevoir is an excellent option! For more guides like this one, check out our Pokemon homepage at GGRecon or take a look at all the upcoming events in the game.
