What do we start with?
We look for an opening move that fits the partner's stronger attack stat, then consider what we'd upgrade next.
FIELD GUIDE / POKESURVIVOR
PokeSurvivor Tier List
Make a tier list for the way you play. Compare partner strengths, explore Solo and Group recommendations and save your picks for the next run.
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Recommended picks
Rules checked Game 1afa081e93
109 reviewed partners. Here's who we'd pick for a Solo run at similar permanent upgrades, and what we'd watch out for.
Compare different boards without changing our grades.
Saved Week 43, 2026 · 50 Solo recordsCaptured 20 Oct 2026, 10:21 UTC · not live
109 partners across S / A / B / C / D · 12 per page. Same-tier order is by Pokédex number.
| Tier | Partner | Why we'd pick it | What to watch for | Saved results | My list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S |  | We keep Gengar in S for its Ghost/Poison plan and repeated player recommendations. The captured weekly Solo board has 3 Gengar records; poison or slow can set up stronger Hex hits. | We'd use Nasty Plot for Special damage. Poison and Hex need to share an active Bond group to keep firing together; merely owning both isn't the full setup. | 3 / 50 recordsBest · #24 | |
| S |  | Mewtwo remains one of our first picks. Players repeatedly recommend it, its Psychic moves receive the single-type bonus, and the captured weekly Solo board contains 6 Mewtwo records. | We'd pair Special damage with Nasty Plot, not Swords Dance. The new Psychic control moves give you options, but don't assume every slot attacks before you earn Bonds. | 6 / 50 recordsBest · #14 | |
| S |  | We put Slaking among our first picks for a Physical Normal plan. Its own-type bonus, active melee reduction and 138 HP support Tackle or Body Slam; the captured weekly Solo board includes a 45:00 result. | We would build a usable damage group before chasing more buffs. Normal has no super-effective matchups, and the saved result does not reveal its permanent upgrades or loadout. | 3 / 50 recordsBest · #1 | |
| A |  | Alakazam gets our vote if you're happy to trade safety for a strong ranged opening. Homing Confusion uses 1.44 Special attack, with speed 128 for repositioning. | Don't let the damage tempt you into standing still. Its 95 HP and 45 physical defense leave very little room for contact. | No record in this period | |
| A |  | We like Tentacruel for a Water/Poison plan with Aqua Ring, poison and Whirlpool control. It appears in ten captured weekly Group records; those are team results, and the Solo board currently has no Tentacruel entry. | We'd secure healing and a workable main attack before chasing extra moves. Shell Bell is capped at 4 HP per second; poison isn't unlimited sustain. | No record in this period | |
| A |  | We like Jolteon for a mobile Electric start: Thunder Shock gives you piercing shots, and speed 133 helps keep a gap open. | We'd take the defensive weakness seriously. It has 99 HP and 60 physical defense, with less type variety than some alternatives. | 2 / 50 recordsBest · #19 | |
| A |  | Mew is our more balanced alternative to the fragile Psychic picks. You still open with Confusion, but have 115 HP and both defenses at 100. | Expect less damage from its 1.25 Special attack than Mewtwo's. Choose from the moves actually in its pool rather than planning around its main-game reputation. | No record in this period | |
| A |  | We like Ho-Oh when Special hits are your main concern: 118 HP and 154 Special defense give you a substantial buffer, with Fire and Flying options. | Ember uses 1.31 Special attack, not the higher Physical factor. That huge Special defense doesn't apply to Physical hits. | 1 / 50 recordsBest · #41 | |
| A |  | Celebi appeals to us as a balanced Confusion starter with Grass options when you want a change of attack pattern. | Check the category before changing your buffs. Grass Knot is area damage; don't choose it expecting to recover HP. | No record in this period | |
| A |  | We like Gardevoir for a coherent Special opening: Confusion fits immediately, with Psychic control and Fairy alternatives when the cards justify another slot. | Its Physical defense is less forgiving than its Special defense. Mist Ball and Draining Kiss have projectile-count caveats, so we would not treat either first upgrade as two shots. | 1 / 50 recordsBest · #28 | |
| A |  | We'd lean into Metal Claw on Metagross. Its 1.44 Physical attack and 130 physical defense support that opening, with Psychic moves available later. | Plan exits before you need them; speed 107 isn't especially high. Confusion uses its lower Special attack. | No record in this period | |
| A |  | Latias offers a Special Dragon opening with Psychic alternatives and enough movement to choose a safer angle. We would match Nasty Plot to that damage route. | Dragon Dance boosts Physical attack here, not Dragon-type damage in general. Do not take it expecting to strengthen Dragon Rage or Special Psychic attacks. | No record in this period |
Your personal list changes only when you add a recommendation.View my list ↑
How we rank these picks
How much room for mistakes?
Damage matters, but so do getting out of a closing gap and surviving a hit. We weigh speed, HP and both defenses together.
What do the boards tell us?
We include saved results so you can compare our picks with recorded runs. A popular partner doesn't automatically get our highest grade.
S: our first picks · A: strong alternatives · B: picks we'd take with a plan · C: lower priority · D: picks we'd avoid at comparable investment.
We compare these 109 species from the current saved boards for general Solo progression at similar permanent investment, including the 400-coin Starting move upgrade. A heavily upgraded favorite may suit your save better than an untouched S-tier pick. D is available but empty; we do not force a low grade to fill it. The selection changes as the captured top 50 changes, while earlier assessments remain on file. Falling out of a board does not lower a partner's grade. Within each tier, partners use Pokédex order.
We weigh legal move routes, player discussions and recorded results together. The capture date tells you when we read the board, not when every run happened. Records do not include the build, cards or permanent upgrades used, so even a freshly captured board cannot prove a current-patch best build. New entries receive a move-route assessment rather than a grade calculated from their time. Single-type partners gain 20% damage with their own-type attacks. Defense factors are softened to 0.78–1.25× incoming damage, and active melee reduces non-pure damage by 25%. Group records describe whole teams; they do not establish individual roles or synergy. No controlled playtest or community vote is claimed.
For now, we would keep a dependable main attack while trying the newer homing and bouncing moves: twelve still fire only one projectile after their first projectile-count upgrade. We account for the moves available today without treating an unmerged fix as a damage increase. This limitation alone does not justify changing every affected partner's grade. Check the affected cards →