Max Battle team building
Max Battles are 4-trainer lobbies × 3 mons each. The optimal subgroup runs 2 attackers + 1 defender + 1 healer — your DPS leads carry the Max Phase while support keeps everyone alive between phases. Pick the right defender for the boss's typing and bring Blissey for healing. Everything else flows from there.
Attacker
Comes out during the Max Phase to dish damage with Max Moves. High Attack stat + super-effective typing + a levelled Max Move. Gigantamax forms preferred — G-Max moves carry stronger secondary effects.
HIGH ATK
Defender
Stays in outside the Max Phase, soaking boss hits and generating Max-meter energy with a short (0.5s) fast move. High HP + Defense + resists the boss's primary attack type.
HIGH HP+DEF
Healer
Uses Max Spirit during the Max Phase to heal the team. Heals as a % of teammates' max HP — so the healer's own HP pool determines how much it can restore. Blissey is the undisputed pick.
MAX HP POOL
A 4-trainer party covers all three roles — the most common balance for a hard Max Battle is:
Trainer 1
Attacker
Trainer 2
Attacker
Trainer 3
Defender
Trainer 4
Healer
For lower-tier raids (1★ / 3★) you can skip the healer slot and run three attackers + one defender — the boss won't hit hard enough to require sustain.
Defenders sit out of the Max Phase and absorb the boss's regular moves. The best picks resist multiple types AND have access to a 0.5-second fast move (Counter, Quick Attack, Thunder Shock, Tackle) so they fill the Max meter quickly. Type-resist matters — Crowned Shield Zamazenta resists 10 types but is weak to Fire / Ground / Fighting, so don't lead with it into a Heatran-class boss.
The premier Max Battle defender — Fighting/Steel typing resists 10 types (more than any other defender), and the Crowned Shield form has the highest defense stat in the format. Pairs with Counter for fast Max-meter generation.
FAST Counter
Massive HP pool doubles as a fallback healer (Max Spirit) when the dedicated Blissey faints. G-Max Resonance sets Aurora Veil — halves incoming team damage for 5 turns. Bring against Fire / Ground / Dragon bosses.
FAST Ice Shard
Pure Steel typing resists 11 types — strongest passive defense in the format. Pair with Thunder Shock (short fast move) to flood the Max meter. The G-Max boost to HP makes it survive even Fighting / Fire / Ground hits.
FAST Thunder Shock
Same Fairy/Steel double-typing as the Crowned Shield form (resists 11 types) but with a higher Attack stat — doubles as an emergency Max attacker once it Dynamaxes. Best universal defender if you only have one slot.
FAST Quick Attack
Tanky Steel-type alternative when you don't have Crowned Zamazenta or G-Max Melmetal yet. Easier to grind to Lv 40 than legendaries — Cufant evolves into it.
FAST Tackle
Bulky Grass-type defender. Best against Water / Ground / Electric / Rock bosses. G-Max Drum Solo ignores opponent stat changes — punches through buffed bosses when it Dynamaxes.
FAST Counter
Dark/Fairy resists 5 types and is immune to Dragon and Psychic damage. Niche but unbeatable against Psychic / Dragon / Ghost bosses (e.g. G-Max Hatterene).
FAST Sucker Punch
Universal "panic-button" defender. Highest raw HP in the game and immune to Ghost-type damage. Easier to power up than the legendary Crowned forms. Doubles as a secondary healer in a pinch.
FAST Zen Headbutt
Healers cast Max Spirit during the Max Phase — heals are calculated as a percentage of teammates' max HP, so the healer's own HP pool determines effective output. Blissey is the only "must-have" on this list; the rest are fallback options when Blissey isn't available.
The #1 healer in Max Battles. Maxes out at 496 base stamina (the highest in the game) — Max Spirit casts can full-heal a team from near-faint in 2-3 uses. Easy to find via raid-day rotations and chains from Happiny Egg hatches.
FAST Pound
Second-best healer behind Blissey — 347 base stamina. Water typing makes it a passable defender against Fire / Ground bosses too, doubling its utility on those teams.
FAST Water Gun
High HP (330 base) + universally available — most trainers have Snorlax candy stockpiled. Works as both a healer and a Normal-type damage soak.
FAST Lick
Decent third-string healer (270 base stamina). The Gigantamax version is a much stronger defender — use base Lapras only when you need the Max Spirit healing and have nothing else.
FAST Frost Breath
- Max Guard
- Blocks damage taken during the next round. Best on the defender to soak a boss's heavy Max Move.
- Max Spirit
- Heals the trainer's own party + allies for a % of their max HP. Cast on the healer.
- Unlock cost
- Both supports require 400 Max Particles + 50 candy of the species. Can be upgraded to Lv 3 for stronger effects.
- Max Phase trigger
- Max meter fills from fast-move hits while defenders tank. Once full, your whole party can Dynamax and use Max Moves for 3 turns.
Got your support team. Now pick a boss to counter: