Greninja is a highly versatile and fast Water/Dark-type Cobblemon, known for its incredible Speed, diverse movepool, and ability to adapt to many battle situations. Whether you're using Greninja for PvP battles, raids, or general exploration, its flexibility makes it a powerful addition to any team. This guide will cover the best moveset for Greninja in Cobblemon, along with strategies to maximize its potential.
Greninja Overview
Type: Water/Dark
Abilities:
- Torrent: Boosts Water-type moves when Greninja’s HP is low.
- Protean: Changes Greninja’s type to the type of the move it uses, giving it STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) for all moves, significantly increasing damage.
Greninja excels as a special or mixed attacker due to its wide movepool and high Speed. Its Protean ability makes it even more unpredictable, allowing it to adapt and deal heavy damage with any move.
Best Moveset for Greninja
1. Hydro Pump
- Type: Water
- Power: 110
- Accuracy: 80%
- Description: Hydro Pump is Greninja’s most powerful Water-type move. While it has lower accuracy, its high base power makes it a devastating attack when it lands, especially with the Protean ability boosting its damage. This move is ideal for taking down Fire-, Rock-, and Ground-types quickly.
2. Dark Pulse
- Type: Dark
- Power: 80
- Accuracy: 100%
- Description: Dark Pulse is Greninja’s primary Dark-type move, providing reliable coverage against Psychic- and Ghost-types. It also has a chance to cause the opposing Cobblemon to flinch, making it a great move for turning the tide of battle in your favor.
3. Ice Beam
- Type: Ice
- Power: 90
- Accuracy: 100%
- Description: Ice Beam offers excellent coverage against Dragon-, Grass-, Flying-, and Ground-types. With Greninja’s high Speed, Ice Beam can take out many threats before they can act, making it a crucial part of its moveset.
4. U-Turn
- Type: Bug
- Power: 70
- Accuracy: 100%
- Description: U-Turn allows Greninja to deal damage and switch out to another Cobblemon, making it a fantastic move for maintaining momentum in battles. It also offers great coverage against Psychic- and Dark-types, while giving you the flexibility to switch into a better match-up after dealing damage.
Alternative Moves for Greninja
If you want to customize Greninja’s moveset to fit specific battle strategies or playstyles, consider these alternative options:
1. Extrasensory
- Type: Psychic
- Power: 80
- Accuracy: 100%
- Description: Extrasensory provides Psychic-type coverage, useful against Fighting- and Poison-types. It also has a chance to flinch, making it a good option if you want more utility.
2. Grass Knot
- Type: Grass
- Power: Varies based on target’s weight
- Accuracy: 100%
- Description: Grass Knot is an excellent move for dealing with heavy Water- or Ground-type Cobblemon like Swampert or Gastrodon. The more weight the target has, the stronger the move becomes.
3. Surf
- Type: Water
- Power: 90
- Accuracy: 100%
- Description: For those who prefer a more accurate but slightly weaker Water-type move, Surf is a reliable alternative to Hydro Pump. Its consistent accuracy makes it a safer option for longer battles.
4. Gunk Shot
- Type: Poison
- Power: 120
- Accuracy: 80%
- Description: Gunk Shot provides strong coverage against Fairy-types, which can be a problem for Greninja. While its accuracy is lower, the high base power makes it a great option if you expect to face Fairy-type opponents.
Recommended EVs and Nature
To fully optimize Greninja, focus on Speed and Special Attack to maximize its damage output while ensuring it outspeeds most opponents.
- EVs: 252 Speed / 252 Special Attack / 4 Attack
- Nature: Timid (Increases Speed, lowers Attack) or Hasty (Increases Speed, lowers Defense)
The Timid nature ensures Greninja is as fast as possible, allowing it to hit first in most matchups. If you plan to run physical moves like U-Turn or Gunk Shot, consider using a Hasty nature to avoid lowering your Attack stat.
Best Held Items for Greninja
- Focus Sash: Prevents Greninja from being knocked out in one hit, giving it a chance to retaliate and potentially KO its opponent.
- Life Orb: Increases Greninja’s damage by 30% at the cost of some HP after every attack, making it even more of a glass cannon.
- Choice Scarf: If you want to guarantee Greninja outspeeds nearly everything, the Choice Scarf boosts its Speed but locks it into one move until switched out.
Team Synergy
Greninja’s flexibility makes it easy to fit into many teams, but pairing it with Cobblemon that can cover its weaknesses will ensure better performance in battles.
- Steel-Type Allies: Cobblemon like Ferrothorn or Excadrill can protect Greninja from Fairy-type attacks, one of Greninja's main weaknesses.
- Electric-Type Partners: Cobblemon like Jolteon or Magnezone can handle Water-types, which Greninja may struggle with due to its Dark typing.
- Fairy-Type Support: Togekiss or Clefable can cover Greninja’s Fighting-type weakness and provide healing or status support for longer battles.
Conclusion
Greninja is one of the most versatile Cobblemon in the game, capable of fitting into many roles thanks to its diverse movepool and incredible Speed. With the right moveset and strategy, it can quickly turn the tide of battle in your favor. Whether you focus on its special attacks with Hydro Pump and Dark Pulse, or opt for utility moves like U-Turn, Greninja will always be a reliable and powerful option.
What moveset are you using for Greninja in Cobblemon? Share your strategies in our Discord!