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#373 · Generation 3

Salamence

dragonflying

Forms & variants

Max CP (L40 / L50)
3,749 / 4,239
Raid catch CP (L20 / L25)
2,142 / 2,678
Research CP (L15)
1,607
Buddy distance
5 km
2nd charged move
75,000 dust · 75 candy
  • Shiny
  • Shadow
  • Tradable
  • Mega
  • Dynamax
Salamence
Keep

Verdict: Keep

Salamence earns its spot: S-tier Flying raid attacker (Shadow).

Battle roles

  • S
    Flying raid attackershadow#3 Flying · 21.0 DPS

    As a Shadow it ranks #3 of 238 Flying-type attackers with Dragon Tail / Fly.

  • A
    Flying raid attacker#6 Flying · 17.8 DPS

    It ranks #6 of 238 Flying-type attackers with Dragon Tail / Fly.

  • A
    Dark raid attackershadow#6 Dark · 17.9 DPS

    As a Shadow it ranks #6 of 363 Dark-type attackers with Dragon Tail / Brutal Swing.

  • B
    Water raid attackershadow#13 Water · 16.5 DPS

    As a Shadow it ranks #13 of 283 Water-type attackers with Dragon Tail / Hydro Pump.

  • C
    Great Leagueshadow#297 of 1154 · score 79.8

    The Shadow version is ranked #297 in Great League on PvPoke with Dragon Tail / Fly / Brutal Swing.

  • C
    Ultra Leagueshadow#289 of 851 · score 79.5

    The Shadow version is ranked #289 in Ultra League on PvPoke with Dragon Tail / Fly / Brutal Swing.

  • C
    Master Leagueshadow#76 of 409 · score 79.5

    The Shadow version is ranked #76 in Master League on PvPoke with Dragon Tail / Fly / Brutal Swing.

  • C
    Dark raid attacker#18 Dark · 15.1 DPS

    It ranks #18 of 363 Dark-type attackers with Dragon Tail / Brutal Swing.

  • C
    Water raid attacker#28 Water · 14.0 DPS

    It ranks #28 of 283 Water-type attackers with Dragon Tail / Hydro Pump.

Worth evolving into

  • Mega Salamence
    S Flying raid attacker (mega)S Dark raid attacker (mega)A Dragon raid attacker (mega)

Collection value

  • Can Mega Evolve: keep your highest-Attack copy for raid days.
  • Shadow version exists: Shadows hit 20% harder and are worth a raid slot even with low IVs.

Tiers: S = meta-defining, A = strong, B = playable, C = niche. PvP from PvPoke overall rankings; raids from computed DPS/TDO within each attacking type; Max Battles from GO Hub tier lists.

Base stats

Attack277
Defense168
Stamina216

Base stats. Bars are scaled to the strongest Pokemon in the game.

Weak to

Resists

Evolution line

Check your Pokemon's IVs

Ranks all 4,096 spreads for each league

Loading IV checker…

PvP rankings (GO Battle League)

LeagueTierRankScoreRecommended movesTypical build
Great League–#449 / 115476.2
Dragon Tail · Fly · Brutal Swing
L14.5 · 5/15/14
Great LeagueShadowC#297 / 115479.8
Dragon Tail · Fly · Brutal Swing
L14.5 · 5/15/14
Ultra League–#350 / 85177.4
Dragon Tail · Fly · Brutal Swing
L24 · 7/15/15
Ultra LeagueShadowC#289 / 85179.5
Dragon Tail · Fly · Brutal Swing
L24 · 7/15/15
Master LeagueC#114 / 40974.4
Dragon Tail · Fly · Brutal Swing
L50 · 15/15/15
Master LeagueShadowC#76 / 40979.5
Dragon Tail · Fly · Brutal Swing
L50 · 15/15/15
Ultra PremierC#231 / 68982.2
Dragon Tail · Fly · Brutal Swing
Ultra PremierShadowC#186 / 68984.3
Dragon Tail · Fly · Brutal Swing
Master PremierB#28 / 27483.4
Dragon Tail · Brutal Swing · Fly
L50 · 15/15/15
Master PremierShadowB#22 / 27484.4
Dragon Tail · Brutal Swing · Fly
L50 · 15/15/15

Source: PvPoke overall rankings. Score is relative to the league meta (100 = best). Typical build is the IV spread PvPoke assumes.

Raid attacker rankings

Attacking typeTierRankDPSTDOBest moves
flyingShadowS#3 / 23821.0344Dragon Tail · Fly
flyingA#6 / 23817.8349Dragon Tail · Fly
darkShadowA#6 / 36317.9294Dragon Tail · Brutal Swing
waterShadowB#13 / 28316.5269Dragon Tail · Hydro Pump
dragonShadowB#14 / 16818.6305Dragon Tail · OutrageElite TM
darkC#18 / 36315.1296Dragon Tail · Brutal Swing
waterC#28 / 28314.0275Dragon Tail · Hydro Pump
fireShadowC#29 / 26316.0263Dragon Tail · Fire Blast

Level 40, 15/15/15, neutral target. DPS = damage per second, TDO = total damage output before fainting. Rank is among every Pokemon using that attacking type.

Moves

Fast moveTypeRaid powerEnergyDurationDPSPvP powerPvP energySpeed
Dragon TailSTAB
dragon14+81.0s14.09+123 turns
Fire Fang
fire13+91.0s13.08+62 turns
Bite
dark6+40.5s12.02+41 turn
Charged moveTypeRaid powerEnergyDurationDmg/energyPvP powerPvP energyEffects
Fire Blast
fire140-1004.0s1.40140-80
Hydro Pump
water135-1003.5s1.35130-75
Draco MeteorSTAB
dragon150-1003.5s1.50150-65100% chance: -2 own Atk
FlySTAB
flying90-502.0s1.8080-45
Brutal Swing
dark65-332.0s1.9755-35
Crunch
dark65-333.0s1.9770-4520% chance: -1 foe Def
OutrageElite TMSTAB
dragon110-504.0s2.20110-60

Questions people ask

Is Salamence good in Pokemon GO?
Yes. Salamence is S-tier for Flying raid attacker and has 8 other ranked roles.
Should I keep or transfer Salamence?
Salamence earns its spot: S-tier Flying raid attacker (Shadow).
What are the best Salamence IVs for Great League?
The rank-1 Great League spread is 5/15/14 (Attack/Defense/HP), which reaches the 1500 CP cap at level 14.5. Low Attack with high Defense and HP wins in capped leagues. Use the IV checker on this page to rank your own copy among all 4,096 spreads.
What are the best Salamence IVs for Ultra League?
The rank-1 Ultra League spread is 7/15/15 (Attack/Defense/HP), which reaches the 2500 CP cap at level 24. Low Attack with high Defense and HP wins in capped leagues. Use the IV checker on this page to rank your own copy among all 4,096 spreads.
Is Salamence a good raid attacker?
Salamence ranks #6 of 238 flying attackers with 17.8 DPS. That is a real raid pick: 15 Attack and level 40 or higher matter more than the other IVs.
Can Salamence be shiny in Pokemon GO?
Yes. Shiny Salamence is available from evolution, photobomb, raid, research, wild. A shiny is worth keeping for the collection no matter its IVs.
Is Shadow Salamence worth keeping?
Shadow Salamence hits 20% harder and takes 20% more damage. The Shadow form is S-tier for Flying raid attacker, so keep it.

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