Pokemon GO: Which Deoxys Form is the best?

Deoxys is one of the few Pokemon that can change its form to focus on different strengths. How do those strengths translate into Pokemon GO? Here’s which Deoxys form is the best.

Pokemon GO: Which Deoxys Form is the best?

Unlike in the main series games, you can’t freely change the Form of Deoxys in Pokemon GO. You’ll need to capture the one you want in EX Raids, so choosing the right one is important given that three out of four of them are almost unplayable.

Deoxys has four forms: Attack, Defense, Speed and Normal. They do what they say on the tin; Attack features higher attack than the others and so on. Its Normal form is the balance of them all.

In Pokemon GO, there are only three stats that factor into Combat Power (CP): Attack, Defense and Stamina.

Already, there is no Speed stat for Speed Deoxys to use. It actually has decent stats otherwise, but losing its trademark blistering Speed and not having anything else to compensate exemplifies the phrase “lost in translation”.

As you’d expect, it’s pretty darn useless. That’s a shame, because Speed Deoxys has what I think is the coolest design among the Deoxys forms.

Battles in Pokemon GO tend to be ones of attrition, stacking up high defenses against strong attackers that counter them. Fights go long. Defense then, is more valuable in this game than in the mainline series.

While Normal Deoxys is considered “balanced”, it still has higher Attack than Defense. In fact, it’s 115 Defense is pretty miserable in Pokémon GO. Attack form is even worse with 46 Defense, and neither have the staying power to compete.

Where does that leave us? Defense Deoxys is far and away the best form of Deoxys in Pokemon GO. It’s somewhat ironic that the worst Deoxys form in the mainline games (Defense) is the best in Pokemon GO while the best in the mainline games (Speed) is the worst in GO.

It is one of the only Psychic Pokemon to be able to learn Counter, and with its diverse move pool that includes Rock Slide and Thunderbolt Deoxys Defense Form can cover its own weaknesses while dealing with a large swathe of opponents.

Deoxys Defense Form is the only one worth getting. Save your EX Raid Passes if it’s anything else.