Max Moves are the three special attacks that Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokémon use during the Max phase of a Max Battle — and they’re the mechanic that trips up most trainers for months after they first encounter it. When you catch a Dynamax Pokémon, only one Max Move is unlocked. The other two cost Max Particles and Candy, and the game provides almost no guidance on which to invest in first or which Pokémon to build out.
This guide covers the current state of Max Moves in Pokémon GO: what each type does (including the exact healing percentages that most guides skip), how the upgrade system works, which moves to prioritize based on your role, and the mistakes that waste the most Max Particles. See our Max Battles guide for full boss strategies and team composition.
Mechanics verified against Pokémon GO as of April 2026.
Quick Start: What to Do First
If you just caught your first Dynamax Pokémon and want to get battle-ready as efficiently as possible:
- Collect Max Particles daily at Power Spots (purple X markers on the map) — cap is 800 MP per day.
- Decide your role before spending anything: Attacker, Tank, or Healer.
- Attackers: Level Max Strike from Level 1 to Level 2 first (600 MP + 100 Candy).
- Tanks: Unlock Max Guard first (400 MP + 50 Candy), then level it up.
- Healers: Unlock Max Spirit first (400 MP + 50 Candy) and level it to at least Level 2 before battling.
- Don’t unlock moves you won’t use in your designated role — see the priority table below.
- Join Max Battles with up to 3 other trainers at Power Spots. Max Moves only activate during the Max phase.
What Are Max Moves?
Every Dynamax Pokémon has three Max Move slots: an attacking move, a defensive move, and a healing move. These moves only activate during the Max phase of a Max Battle, which begins after your team has fully charged the Max Meter using regular Fast and Charged Attacks. Once the meter is full, each trainer’s Pokémon enters Dynamax form and you get exactly three turns to use Max Moves before the Pokémon reverts.
The three Max Move types each serve a distinct purpose:
Max Strike (Attacking Move)
The attacking slot. For Dynamax Pokémon, the move type matches the type of the Pokémon’s Fast Attack — check our type chart for how types interact with specific bosses. A Charizard with Fire Spin gets a Fire-type Max Strike; one with Wing Attack gets Flying-type Max Strike.
Gigantamax Pokémon replace Max Strike with a species-locked G-Max Move: Gigantamax Charizard always uses G-Max Wildfire, Gigantamax Venusaur always uses G-Max Vine Lash, and Gigantamax Blastoise always uses G-Max Cannonade — regardless of their Fast Attack type. G-Max Moves deal more damage than standard Max Strike, which is the primary competitive reason to prioritize Gigantamax Pokémon in attacker roles.
One edge case: Pokémon with Hidden Power as their Fast Attack always receive Max Strike as their attacking move, regardless of what type Hidden Power is set to. Hidden Power’s type variation does not transfer to Max Moves.
Max Guard (Defensive Move)
Using Max Guard adds a temporary HP shield to your Pokémon, stackable up to three layers (shown as visual shield indicators), and activates a taunt effect that forces the boss’s single-target attacks to redirect onto the shielded Pokémon. This taunt component is the strategic core of Max Guard — it’s not just extra HP for one Pokémon, it’s directional protection for the entire team. In a 4-player group, one designated tank using Max Guard covers everyone’s defensive needs. Two players running Max Guard simultaneously wastes the second player’s entire three-turn Max phase on redundant shielding.
Max Spirit (Healing Move)
Max Spirit restores HP for your Pokémon and all allied Pokémon in the battle, calculated as a percentage of the user’s maximum HP. The percentage increases with move level:
- Level 1: 8% of the user’s max HP per use
- Level 2: 12% of the user’s max HP per use
- Level 3: 16% of the user’s max HP per use
- Temporary Level 4 (via Dynamax Cannon’s Adventure Effect): 20%
Because Max Spirit heals as a percentage of the user’s HP, Pokémon with high stamina stats make dramatically better healers than those with low HP, even if their attacking stats are mediocre. Blissey is the most effective healer in Max Battles because it has the highest HP stat in the game — each percentage point heals more raw HP per turn than any other option. Wailord is the second-best choice by the same logic.
The Max Spirit button glows when any allied Pokémon has low HP. That’s your signal to use it over attacking.
The Upgrade System: Costs and Progression
Max Strike starts at Level 1 unlocked by default. Max Guard and Max Spirit start completely locked and can’t be used in battle until you unlock them. All three moves can be upgraded from Level 1 to Level 3 using Max Particles and Candy, switching to Candy XL at the final level.
| Move Action | Max Particles | Candy Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Unlock (→ Level 1) | 400 MP | 50 Candy |
| Level 1 → Level 2 | 600 MP | 100 Candy |
| Level 2 → Level 3 | 800 MP | 40 Candy XL |
| Total per move | 1,800 MP | 150 Candy + 40 Candy XL |
To fully upgrade all three Max Moves on a single Pokémon, you’re spending 5,400 Max Particles, 450 Candy, and 120 Candy XL. Candy costs can vary by species — different Pokémon are assigned to different cost groups, and rarer species require more Candy XL at Level 3 specifically. Check the upgrade screen for your specific Pokémon before committing.
Max Particles: How to Farm Them Efficiently
Max Particles are the hard bottleneck for upgrading Max Moves. Here’s the complete sourcing picture:
Power Spots (purple X markers on the map): Your first interaction with a freshly activated Power Spot yields 100 MP. Subsequent taps give 20 MP each. Power Spots cycle through activation windows, so visiting newly active spots is more efficient than returning to the same one repeatedly.
Walking rewards: 2 km of walking earns 300 Max Particles. Adventure Sync counts toward this distance, so it accumulates passively.
Max Particle packs: Each pack grants 800 MP instantly and is exempt from the daily earn cap.
Daily earn cap: You can earn a maximum of 800 MP per day from Power Spots and walking combined. This resets at 5:00 AM local time. Packs bypass this limit entirely.
Storage cap: The MP bag holds a maximum of 1,500 particles. This was increased from 1,000 on May 19, 2025 — some older guides still cite 1,000, which is now incorrect.
Max Battle entry costs (only charged on wins):
- 1-star Max Battles: 250 MP
- 4-star Max Battles: 800 MP
At 800 MP per day maximum through exploration, fully upgrading a single Max Move (1,800 MP) takes a minimum of three days of capped farming — before accounting for any MP spent entering battles. Decide which Pokémon and which moves matter most before committing particles, because each upgrade represents a multi-day investment at normal play pace.
Which Max Moves to Unlock First
Most guides recommend unlocking all three moves on all your Pokémon. That’s the long-term goal, not the starting strategy. The right unlock order depends entirely on which role you’re filling in Max Battles — and since Max Strike starts at Level 1 for free, Attackers need the least additional investment of any role.
| Player Type | Unlock First | Upgrade Second | Lowest Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attacker (coordinated group) | Level Max Strike L1 → L2 → L3 | Unlock Max Guard for solo fallback | Max Spirit (team healer covers this) |
| Tank | Unlock Max Guard → level to L2 | Level Max Strike for off-turns | Max Spirit (rarely needed for tank role) |
| Healer | Unlock Max Spirit → level to L2 minimum | Level Max Spirit to L3 | Max Guard (last for pure healers) |
| Casual (uncoordinated groups) | Unlock both Max Guard and Max Spirit on your strongest Pokémon | Level Max Spirit to L2 | Full L3 upgrades (do these last) |
| Solo / Duo | Unlock all three moves on every Pokémon you plan to use | Max Guard and Max Spirit both to L2+ | Nothing — every move is needed |
For Attackers: Max Strike is already at Level 1 by default. In a coordinated group with a dedicated tank and healer, an attacker only needs to level Max Strike — unlocking Guard and Spirit wastes hundreds of particles on moves you’ll never use in your role. The exception is if you regularly play in random groups without role coordination, where having Guard unlocked provides emergency flexibility.
For Healers: The jump from Level 1 (8% HP) to Level 2 (12% HP) is the single most impactful Max Spirit upgrade. That 4-percentage-point gain translates to significantly more raw HP on a high-stamina Pokémon. Don’t bring a Level 3 Max Spirit on a low-HP Pokémon when a Level 2 on Blissey heals more per turn in absolute terms.
Gigantamax vs Dynamax for attackers: When you have the Gigantamax form available, invest there first. G-Max Moves consistently outperform standard Max Strike, and the move type is species-locked — removing the problem where your Dynamax Pokémon’s Max Strike type doesn’t match the boss weakness you need to exploit.
Practical Tips for Max Battles
Charge the Max Meter with Fast Attacks. Fast Attacks build the meter more efficiently per turn than Charged Attacks. If reaching the Max phase quickly is the priority — especially before the boss uses its hardest-hitting moves — spam Fast Attacks until the meter is full. Charged Attacks are better for burst damage when you need it mid-phase.
Coordinate roles before the battle starts. In a group of four, only one Pokémon needs to run Max Guard per encounter. Two tanks wasting the Max phase on redundant shielding loses you an attacker’s three turns of damage output. Agree on roles before the Power Spot countdown begins. Our battle mechanics guide covers GO’s turn-based combat fundamentals if you need a refresher.
Prioritize G-Max Pokémon for attacking turns. When your team includes Gigantamax Pokémon, those trainers should commit to attacking during the Max phase. Using a Gigantamax Pokémon’s turn on Guard or Spirit wastes their comparative advantage over standard Dynamax attackers.
Dynamax Cannon’s Adventure Effect can boost Max Spirit temporarily. When this Adventure Effect triggers, it raises Max Spirit’s effective level by 1 for that turn — turning a Level 3 into a 20% heal. Save this for team emergencies or when you need to extend a fight by keeping everyone alive through the critical final phase.
Max Moves are exclusive to Max Battles at Power Spots. They don’t work in GO Battle League, Gym battles, standard Raids, or any other format. Every particle you invest in Max Move upgrades only pays off at Power Spot encounters.
Common Mistakes
Upgrading the wrong Pokémon first. Spending 400 MP to unlock Max Spirit on a Pokémon you intend to use as an attacker wastes particles and Candy on a move that role never uses. Map out which Pokémon will fill which role before touching the upgrade screen.
Hitting the 1,500 MP storage cap. If your bag is at capacity and you walk past a Power Spot, you earn nothing. This happens easily when farming Power Spots daily without running Max Battles or upgrading moves. Check your balance before collecting — if you’re near 1,500, spend on upgrades or run a battle first.
Misunderstanding what Max Guard actually does. Most players unlock Max Guard expecting a personal HP shield and don’t realize the taunt effect — which redirects the boss’s single-target attacks onto the shielded Pokémon — is the more important function. This leads to two players both running tanks in the same fight, each providing half the team protection that one tank alone would have covered. The healer is what saves struggling runs, not a second shield.
Using Max Spirit at full HP. The game doesn’t prevent you from wasting a Max phase turn healing zero HP. Wait for the glow signal before committing to a heal turn — if everyone’s at full HP, attack instead.
Leveling Max Spirit on a low-HP Pokémon. Max Spirit heals a percentage of the user’s max HP. A Blissey at Level 2 Max Spirit heals more absolute HP per use than most other Pokémon at Level 3 Max Spirit — purely because of the HP stat gap. The right healer isn’t the Pokémon you like most or have leveled highest. It’s the Pokémon with the highest stamina stat in your Dynamax roster.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need all three Max Moves unlocked to win Max Battles?
No — the answer depends on group size and role coordination. In a coordinated 4-player group with defined roles (2 attackers, 1 tank, 1 healer), each player covering a specific function can win without every Pokémon having all three moves. Attackers genuinely don’t need Max Guard or Max Spirit if those roles are reliably handled by teammates. Where this breaks down is in random matchmaking or solo and duo attempts — without coordination, having only Max Strike means you can’t cover defensive gaps. The safest choice if you’re not pre-organizing roles: unlock both Max Guard and Max Spirit on your primary Pokémon before joining a serious Max Battle.
Why do some Pokémon cost more Candy XL to upgrade Max Moves?
Different species belong to different upgrade cost groups, and rarer or more powerful Pokémon sit in higher-cost brackets. The Max Particle cost stays identical across all groups (400/600/800 MP per level), but Candy XL requirements at Level 3 scale up significantly for harder-to-obtain Pokémon. This is the game’s deliberate pacing mechanism — strong Dynamax Pokémon are expensive to fully develop in both particles and the Candy XL grind tied to event availability. Before committing particles to a new Pokémon’s Level 3 upgrade, check the specific Candy XL cost on the upgrade screen, because the difference between cost groups can be substantial.
Is Gigantamax always better than Dynamax for Max Moves?
For the attacker role, yes — Gigantamax is strictly better. G-Max Moves deal more damage than standard Max Strike, and the move type is fixed by species rather than Fast Attack type, which removes the situation where your Dynamax Pokémon’s Max Strike doesn’t match the boss weakness you need. The trade-off is availability: Gigantamax Pokémon are event-locked and catching multiples for Candy XL takes longer. If you have both forms of the same line and the Candy to support both, build the Gigantamax attacker first. For support roles — Tank or Healer — there’s no difference. Max Guard and Max Spirit function identically on Gigantamax and Dynamax Pokémon.
Sources
- Dynamax (GO) — Bulbapedia
- Max Move — Bulbapedia
- Max Particle — Bulbapedia
- Max Spirit (move) — Bulbapedia
- Collecting Max Particles — Niantic Help Center
- The Great Pokémon GO Guide to Winning Max Battles — Pokemon.com
- How to Get Max Moves — CBR (cbr.com/pokemon-go-max-moves-guide/)