Pokemon GO Max Battles Guide: How Dynamax Works & Best Attackers

Pokemon GO Max Battles bring the Dynamax phenomenon from Pokemon Sword and Shield into the real world. These cooperative battles task up to four trainers with teaming up at Power Spots to take down a giant Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokemon — and then catch it. If you have been playing regular raids for a while and want to level up your game, Max Battles offer a fresh layer of strategy and some of the most powerful Pokemon available in GO.

This guide covers everything: how to find Power Spots, the difference between Dynamax and Gigantamax, how Max Moves and Max Particles work, the best Pokemon to bring, and how to catch your Dynamax prize after winning.

Dynamax vs. Gigantamax: What Is the Difference?

Both Dynamax and Gigantamax involve your Pokemon growing to massive size and gaining access to powerful Max Moves — but there are key differences.

Feature	Dynamax	Gigantamax
Which Pokemon?	Any compatible Pokemon	Special species only (e.g. Charizard, Gengar, Machamp)
Appearance change?	No — just grows bigger	Yes — unique form with visual transformation
Max Attack type	Max Move matching Fast Attack type	Exclusive G-Max Move (may differ from Fast Attack type)
Power	Strong	Generally stronger, especially G-Max Moves

Gigantamax Pokemon such as Gigantamax Charizard, Gigantamax Blastoise, and Gigantamax Venusaur were introduced to Pokemon GO during the GO Bigger event in October 2024. They are rarer than standard Dynamax Pokemon and appear during special events. The G-Max Move a Gigantamax Pokemon uses is unique to its species and is not necessarily the same type as its Fast Attack — making Gigantamax battles even more unpredictable.

Importantly, neither Dynamax nor Gigantamax changes a Pokemon’s type. A Fire-type Charizard stays Fire/Flying regardless of which form it takes.

How to Find Power Spots

Power Spots are the Pokemon GO equivalent of Raid Gyms for Max Battles. You will recognise them on the map by a large purple X marker. Most Power Spots are tied to small businesses and landmarks in your local area.

Power Spots serve two purposes:

Collecting Max Particles — tap the floating Max Particle bubbles at a Power Spot to earn MP (see the Max Particles section below)
Hosting Max Battles — tap the Power Spot to see which Dynamax Pokemon is currently there and join or start a Max Battle

Unlike regular raiding, Max Battles at Power Spots are turn-based cooperative encounters rather than real-time battles. You will need at least one other trainer to take on higher-level Max Battles effectively, though you can attempt lower-level encounters solo.

Max Battle Mechanics: How Battles Actually Work

Battle Structure

Each Max Battle supports up to four trainers, and each trainer brings three Pokemon. The battle proceeds in rounds. During normal rounds, your Pokemon use Fast Attacks and Charged Attacks to build up the Max Meter — a shared resource that powers the Dynamax phase.

A critical tip: during normal rounds, focus entirely on Fast Attacks. Charged Attacks are slow and charge the Max Meter much less efficiently. Save Charged Attacks for emergencies only.

The Dynamax Phase

Once the Max Meter is full, all trainers enter the Dynamax Phase simultaneously. Each trainer selects one of their Pokemon to Dynamax, and those Pokemon use Max Moves. Moves are selected in a turn-based fashion — every trainer must choose before the round resolves, and if you do not select in time, your Pokemon’s Max Attack is chosen automatically.

The Dynamax Phase lasts three turns, after which all Pokemon revert to their normal forms and the Max Meter resets. This cycle repeats until the Power Spot Boss is defeated or all Pokemon faint.

The Shield Phase

Dynamax and Gigantamax boss Pokemon are protected by shields that must be broken before your Max Attacks deal full damage. Coordinating shield breaks is one of the most important cooperative elements. Use Max Guard to protect your team while others focus fire on breaking the boss’s shield — once it drops, unleash your strongest Max Attacks.

Max Battle Difficulty Levels

Level	Max Particles Cost	Difficulty
1-Star	250 MP	Soloable for most trainers
3-Star	400 MP	Recommended 2+ trainers
6-Star (Gigantamax)	800 MP	Full team of 4 strongly recommended

Max Particles are only consumed from your bag if you win the battle. Losing costs you nothing — though you will have to wait for the Power Spot to reset.

Max Moves Explained

During the Dynamax Phase, your Pokemon use Max Moves instead of normal attacks. There are three types of Max Moves:

Max Attack — an extra-powerful offensive move whose type matches your Pokemon’s Fast Attack type. This is your main damage dealer against the boss.
Max Guard — creates a shield that reduces damage your Pokemon takes in the next round. Must be unlocked before use.
Max Spirit — restores HP for your Pokemon and allies. Must be unlocked before use.

Gigantamax Pokemon replace their Max Attack with a unique G-Max Move, which is often more powerful and may have additional effects. For example, Gigantamax Charizard’s G-Max Wildfire deals Fire-type damage and can bypass resistances in ways standard Max Flare cannot.

Unlocking and Upgrading Max Moves

Max Guard and Max Spirit must be unlocked before you can use them in battle. Unlocking each costs 400 Max Particles and 50 Candy for that Pokemon’s species. Max Moves can then be upgraded from Level 1 to Level 3 (Max Level), increasing their effectiveness — upgrades also cost Max Particles and Candy.

Prioritise unlocking Max Guard and Max Spirit on your dedicated Defender and Healer Pokemon before your Attackers. Your Attackers only need the Max Attack, which is available by default.

Max Particles: How to Earn and Spend Them

Max Particles (MP) are the dedicated currency for everything Dynamax-related in Pokemon GO. You need them to enter Max Battles and to unlock and upgrade Max Moves.

How to Earn Max Particles

Power Spot visits — each visit earns 100 MP; there may be a bonus tap for an extra 20 MP
Walking — every 2 km walked earns 300 MP (works with Adventure Sync)

The daily collection cap is 800 MP, resetting at 5:00 AM local time. Your bag can hold a maximum of 1,500 MP at once, so do not let it fill up before a major Max Battle event — spend MP on Max Move upgrades to stay below the cap.

How to Spend Max Particles

Entering Max Battles (250–800 MP depending on level, only charged on win)
Unlocking Max Guard and Max Spirit (400 MP + 50 Candy per unlock)
Upgrading Max Moves to higher levels

Best Pokemon to Use in Max Battles

Max Battle parties are built around three roles: Attacker, Defender, and Healer. A balanced team of four trainers should have at least one Defender and one Healer covering the group, with the remaining slots filled by Attackers.

Party Roles

Attacker — high Attack stat, levelled Max Attack, type advantage over the boss. Gigantamax versions are preferred for their G-Max Moves.
Defender — high HP and Defense, uses Max Guard to create shields for the team. Tanky Pokemon with Max Guard at Level 2 or 3 are ideal.
Healer — uses Max Spirit to sustain the team across multiple Dynamax cycles. Essential for longer 6-Star battles.

Top Max Attackers (S-Tier)

These are the best attackers currently available for Max Battles, with Gigantamax forms ranking above their Dynamax counterparts where available:

Gigantamax Inteleon — elite Water-type attacker with a devastating G-Max Move
Gigantamax Gengar — top Ghost/Poison attacker, excellent G-Max Move coverage
Gigantamax Kingler — powerful Water-type damage output
Gigantamax Rillaboom — dominant Grass-type attacker
Gigantamax Cinderace — strong Fire-type option with reliable G-Max Move
Gigantamax Machamp — best Fighting-type Max attacker
Crowned Sword Zacian — exceptional Fairy/Steel attacker for Dynamax coverage

Type Match-Up Tips

As with regular raids, picking the right type is everything. Always check the Dynamax boss’s typing before building your team:

Fire-type boss? Bring Water, Rock, or Ground attackers
Dragon-type boss? Bring Ice, Dragon, or Fairy attackers
Normal-type boss? Fighting attackers dominate
Flying-type boss? Rock or Electric attackers work well

Check the current Power Spot boss before each session and adjust your roster accordingly. Bringing super-effective Max Attacks is the single biggest damage multiplier available to you.

How to Catch Dynamax Pokemon After Winning

Winning a Max Battle works similarly to winning a standard raid encounter. After collecting your rewards, you enter the catch phase where the Dynamax (or Gigantamax) Pokemon reverts to its normal size. You will have a set number of Premier Balls to use — the base reward is 10 Premier Balls, with an additional 2 Premier Balls for in-person participation.

Tips for the catch phase:

Use Golden Razz Berries on Gigantamax encounters — their catch rate is lower than standard Dynamax Pokemon
Wait for the target ring to shrink to Excellent or Great size before throwing
Curved throws add a bonus to catch rate — always curve
If the Pokemon breaks out repeatedly, use Pinap Berries on the final Premier Ball if you are confident in your throw — but prioritise catching over bonus Candy on rare Gigantamax targets

If the Pokemon escapes the catch phase, it is gone — unlike raids, there is no second chance at the same encounter. Use your Premier Balls wisely.

Cooperative Play Tips

Max Battles reward teamwork in ways that regular raid battles do not. The turn-based Dynamax Phase means coordination directly affects your win rate.

Assign roles before the battle — agree on who plays Defender/Healer and who plays Attacker so you are not all using Max Guard with nobody dealing damage
Break shields fast — focus all Max Attacks on the boss’s shield in the first Dynamax Phase turn; once it cracks, your damage spikes dramatically
Communicate Dynamax Phase timing — if your team fills the Max Meter faster than expected, make sure everyone is ready before entering the phase
Fast Attacks only in normal rounds — remind your group not to use Charged Attacks; they are significantly less efficient at charging the Max Meter
Revive between phases if needed — if your Pokemon faints outside the Dynamax Phase, you can send in your next Pokemon immediately

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using Charged Attacks in normal rounds — this slows Max Meter charging significantly and is the most common beginner error
Not unlocking Max Guard and Max Spirit — going into a 6-Star battle without a Healer or Defender will likely end in failure
Maxing out your MP storage — the 1,500 MP cap means you can lose out on daily collection if you do not spend down your reserves. Upgrade Max Moves regularly to make room.
Ignoring type match-ups — Max Battles punish off-type attackers more than regular battles because the Dynamax Phase is so short
Solo-attempting 6-Star battles — Gigantamax encounters are designed for four trainers. Solo or duo attempts against 6-Star bosses will almost always fail

Conclusion

Pokemon GO Max Battles are one of the game’s most rewarding cooperative experiences. With the right team composition — strong type-advantage Attackers, a levelled-up Defender with Max Guard, and a Healer running Max Spirit — you and three other trainers can take down even the toughest Gigantamax bosses and add rare Dynamax forms to your collection.

Focus on building your Max Particles reserves through daily Power Spot visits and walking, unlock Max Guard and Max Spirit on your key Pokemon, and always coordinate roles with your group before the Dynamax Phase. Do that consistently, and Max Battles become a reliable source of powerful Pokemon and great rewards.

For the best weekly window to stack Max Battle attempts and legendary raids back-to-back, check out our Raid Hour guide to make the most of Wednesday evenings.

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Michael R.

I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.