Pokemon GO Poliwrath vs. Politoed: Which is Better?

Poliwrath and Politoed serve as the final evolutions to the Poliwag line, giving players a choice on who to pick when they choose to evolve Poliwhirl. In the mainline games, these two Pokemon had some contrasts in moveset and stats, but what about in Pokemon GO? In this comparison, these two Poli-mons will be judged on their overall viability, the method of obtaining, and several other aspects. Which of Poliwhirl’s evolutions is better?

Pokemon GO Poliwrath vs. Politoed: Which is Better?

Difficulty to Obtain

The methods to obtain both Poliwrath and Politoed from Poliwhirl involve 50 candy, but it turns out that Politoed requires an extra component: a King’s Rock. Similar to Pokemon like Slowking, the use of candy and a King’s Rock is necessary to obtain Politoed.

In addition to Poliwrath being the easiest to evolve for, this Pokemon can also be directly encountered and caught in the wild. There is no way to encounter a Politoed in the wild, making Poliwhirl the easiest to obtain overall.

Base Stats

Poliwrath and Politoed possess the following base stats:

• Attack - Politoed has 174 while Poliwrath has 182
• Defense - Politoed has 179 while Poliwrath has 184
• Stamina - Politoed has 207 while Poliwrath has 207

These two frogs bump heads when it comes to Stamina, but Poliwrath takes the cake when it comes to Attack and Defense. Poliwrath proves to be the strongest contender when it comes to the stats.

Typing

Unlike the case of Slowbro and Slowking, Politoed and Poliwrath actually have different typings. Politoed is purely a Water-type while Poliwrath is a Water/Fighting-type. Now, these typings play into a number of things, but when looking at the type of moves these two can endure, it’s up to the Trainer whether they want an Achilles heel or something on the safer side.

Poliwrath has significantly more weaknesses than its counterpart, being weak to Flying, Grass, Electric, Psychic, and Fairy-types while Politoed is only weak to Electric and Grass-types. However, Poliwrath’s numerous exploits also tie into the kinds of moves it can endure, as its duo typing makes it resistant to Rock, Bug, Steel, Fire, Water, Ice, and Dark-types. Politoed can only resist Steel, Fire, Water, and Ice moves.

Again, it’s really up to the trainer here.

Best Movesets

This is another choice the Trainer can make, as these two evolutions bring something different to the table. Both Pokemon, in both offensive and defensive uses, use Bubble as their best Quick Move. However, Poliwrath has Dynamic Punch as its best Charge Move while Politoed has Weather Ball (Water) as its best Charge Move. It’s up to the Trainer whether they want a pure-water move set or a Pokemon with weak Water but powerful Fighting capabilities.

If Trainers would like to go by DPS potential, Politoed wins this one. Its Weather Ball has about 1.3 more DPS than Poliwrath’s Dynamic Punch.

Verdict

Both Pokemon have their strengths and their downfalls, and both are still considered good choices. It’s best left to the context of the Trainer and what they need to succeed in their current standings. Politoed is a good choice for those that want to play it safe with a good Water-type, while Poliwrath is for those who like to be bold and tanky.

Both Poliwrath and Politoed are currently available to obtain in Pokemon GO, along with their shiny forms.