Starting with a strong team in Cobblemon is crucial for success in battles, exploration, and leveling up efficiently. Some Cobblemon, when caught early, provide significant advantages due to their stats, moves, and evolutions. In this guide, we’ll highlight the top five Cobblemon you should catch early to build a powerful and well-rounded team from the start.
1. Ralts (Psychic/Fairy)
Why You Should Catch Ralts Early:
- Versatile Evolutions: Ralts can evolve into either Gardevoir (Psychic/Fairy) or Gallade (Psychic/Fighting), giving you flexibility based on your team's needs.
- Early Psychic Moves: As a Psychic-type, Ralts learns powerful special moves early on, making it a great special attacker.
- Fairy Coverage: Once it evolves into Gardevoir, it gains Fairy typing, providing coverage against Dragon, Dark, and Fighting types.
Recommended Role:
- Special Attacker: With access to moves like Psychic, Moonblast, and Calm Mind, Ralts (and its evolutions) excels as a powerful special sweeper.
Catching Tips:
- Habitat: Ralts can often be found in forested or grassy areas, making it relatively easy to find early in your adventure.
2. Magikarp (Water)
Why You Should Catch Magikarp Early:
- Gyarados Evolution: While Magikarp starts off weak, it evolves into the powerful Gyarados at level 20. Gyarados has strong physical attack stats and access to useful Water and Flying-type moves.
- Intimidate Ability: Gyarados’s Intimidate ability reduces the opponent’s Attack when it enters battle, making it a great physical tank.
Recommended Role:
- Physical Attacker and Tank: Gyarados can act as both a physical sweeper with moves like Waterfall and Bounce, and a bulky tank that can absorb hits and deal damage.
Catching Tips:
- Habitat: Look for Magikarp in rivers, lakes, or oceans. It’s very common, so catching one early should be no problem.
3. Shinx (Electric)
Why You Should Catch Shinx Early:
- Strong Physical Electric Attacker: When it evolves into Luxray, Shinx becomes a powerful physical Electric-type attacker with high Attack stats.
- Electric Type Coverage: Having an Electric-type Cobblemon early on gives you an edge against Flying and Water-type Cobblemon, which are common in the early game.
Recommended Role:
- Physical Attacker: Luxray can learn moves like Wild Charge and Crunch, making it an excellent choice for dealing with a variety of foes.
Catching Tips:
- Habitat: Shinx is typically found in grassy plains or near power sources, making it an easy catch in the early stages of your adventure.
4. Riolu (Fighting)
Why You Should Catch Riolu Early:
- Evolves into Lucario: Riolu evolves into Lucario, a fan-favorite Fighting/Steel type that excels in both physical and special attacks.
- Great Moveset: Riolu learns useful Fighting-type moves early on, such as Force Palm and Counter, making it useful even before evolving.
- Versatile Playstyle: Lucario can be built as either a physical or special attacker, depending on your team’s needs.
Recommended Role:
- Mixed Attacker: With access to moves like Aura Sphere, Close Combat, and Extreme Speed, Lucario can serve as a versatile attacker in your lineup.
Catching Tips:
- Habitat: Riolu is typically found in mountainous or forest areas, though it might be rarer than other early-game Cobblemon. Be patient when searching.
5. Dratini (Dragon)
Why You Should Catch Dratini Early:
- Evolves into Dragonite: Dratini evolves into Dragonite, one of the most powerful Dragon/Flying types in Cobblemon, known for its high stats across the board.
- Early Access to Dragon Moves: Dratini learns powerful Dragon-type moves early, such as Dragon Tail and Twister, giving you an advantage in tougher battles.
Recommended Role:
- Physical Sweeper: Dragonite excels in using physical attacks like Outrage, Dragon Claw, and Earthquake, making it a top-tier sweeper in any team.
Catching Tips:
- Habitat: Dratini is often found near water sources such as lakes or rivers, though it may take some effort to locate early in the game.
Honorable Mention: Beldum (Steel/Psychic)
While Beldum evolves into the powerful Metagross, one of the best Steel/Psychic types in the game, it is difficult to train early on because it only knows Takedown. However, if you manage to catch and train one, it will be an invaluable asset to your team in the long run.
Conclusion
Catching the right Cobblemon early in your adventure can give you a significant advantage as you progress through tougher battles and challenges. By focusing on these top five Cobblemon—Ralts, Magikarp, Shinx, Riolu, and Dratini—you can build a strong, balanced team that will carry you through the game with ease. These Cobblemon offer powerful evolutions, strong movesets, and the flexibility needed to tackle any battle scenario.
Which early-game Cobblemon are your favorite? Let us know in our Discord!