Plan a Max Battle team before you invest
Choose the right Max form, understand tank and damage roles, and compare group sizes without mistaking a benchmark for a guaranteed clear.
The decision to make
Confirm the Max form and fast attack first, then compare group size and survival. A high score is useful for comparison, but it does not establish that your group will clear the live boss.
Build a Max Battle teamMatch the form, not just the species name
A regular Pokémon of the right species is not interchangeable with a Max-capable one. Select the exact Dynamax or Gigantamax boss, and check each recommended counter’s form. The Lab includes announced additions for planning; appearing in the selector is not a statement that the encounter is available at your local Power Spot today.
A Dynamax attack follows the fast attack’s type. A Gigantamax Pokémon has a species-specific G-Max attack, which can differ from its fast attack. That makes the fast-move row part of the build decision, rather than a minor detail to check after powering up.
Worked example: Rhyperior’s two roles
The site’s move data gives Rhyperior Mud Slap and Smack Down. In its Dynamax form, Mud Slap leads to a Ground-type Max attack; Smack Down leads to a Rock-type Max attack. Against a boss weak to Rock but not Ground, these are different builds even with identical level and IVs.
Read both the fast and Max move types on the card. Changing only the charged attack does not turn the Ground Max attack into a Rock attack.
Understand what the three roles are doing
The Lab pairs one tank with two damage roles. The tank is evaluated for surviving the boss’s possible attack types; the damage roles emphasize move damage and Max-phase output. Those are starting roles for comparison, not an instruction to keep a vulnerable attacker on the field throughout the battle.
In live play, Max Guard reduces incoming damage and Max Spirit heals. The current benchmark does not simulate a coordinated sequence of Guard and Spirit uses, individual dodges, or every Max Meter event. Discuss those responsibilities with your group separately; a displayed tank is not a complete healing plan.
Read the likely incoming attack types as well as the boss’s weaknesses. Two counters can deal the same super-effective attack while having very different resistance to the boss’s coverage moves. Survival becomes especially relevant when your available counters are below the benchmark level.
Compare one change at a time
- Choose the exact boss form and your counter level.
- Set Max move level and the number of comparable trainers in your battle group.
- Build a balanced team and note the recommended moves, score, and duration.
- Compare damage priority with survival priority while leaving the other settings fixed.
- Exclude unavailable candidates and check whether the new team still has workable roles.
The group selector models one to four comparable trainers. It does not reproduce every team in a larger Gigantamax lobby. A four-trainer estimate must not be read as evidence that any four players can complete a particular live Gigantamax encounter.
Use the level selector honestly. Level 50 is a standardized comparison, not a minimum requirement or a description of your collection. Every team card should be read at the level selected in the settings.
What the benchmark numbers mean
- Team benchmark score
- A heuristic combining damage, survival, and alignment with counter tables. It is not a measured win probability.
- Blended DPS
- The model’s weighted damage output across ordinary attacks and a fixed Max-phase cycle. It is useful for comparing builds under the same assumptions.
- Duration
- An estimate using a simplified boss-endurance model. Actual boss tuning and group execution can change the result substantially.
- Recovery items
- A planning estimate for the selected group’s HP consumption, not an item charge imposed by the game.
The model uses perfect 15/15/15 IVs and standardized attack bonuses. Announced Pokémon missing from older counter tables receive a legal moveset fallback. Their table alignment is provisional. Review the methodology before using small score differences to justify a large Candy or Stardust spend.
Make the smallest useful upgrade
Before buying another level, check whether you can correct an attack type or bring a more suitable existing counter. Then compare whether improving a damage role or preserving the tank addresses the weakness you actually observed. A team that runs out of time and a team that faints early call for different changes.
For announced bosses, use the tool to prepare options and save resources. Recheck the official event details and the live moveset when the encounter arrives. A future boss’s exact difficulty should not be inferred from a simulated duration.
Sources and review notes
This guide combines the linked game documentation with the behavior and assumptions of Go Battle Forge’s tools. Examples are original illustrations. Game rules and available encounters can change.