PokeSurvivor Best Starter: Which Pokémon to Pick First
By: PokeSurvivor Fans · Last updated:
The best starter in PokeSurvivor for most new players is Mudkip or Sobble, both Water Gun users. The strongest starter on paper is Scorbunny (attack multiplier 1.09), and the best pick across a full run in our tier list is Froakie, the fastest starter. This page covers one decision: which Pokémon to take on your first runs, roughly the first 30 minutes of play. For rankings across early, mid and late game, see the PokeSurvivor tier list.
How the first pick works
New players take a short personality quiz (“Your personality is…”). It suggests a partner, and you can accept or choose another. The picker describes the pool as “the starters from every region, plus two more friends”: the 27 regional starters from Kanto to Paldea, plus Psyduck and Slowpoke. That’s 29 options.
The quiz result is only a suggestion. Pick based on the starting move, since it’s the one attack you’ll have from the first second.
Pick by starting move
Starting moves below come from the game’s client data, read on 2026-10-14. Move descriptions and evolutions are from the official moves list, checked the same day.
| Starting move | Starters | What it does | Evolves into (card) | Evolution effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Gun | Squirtle, Totodile, Mudkip, Oshawott, Froakie, Sobble, Quaxly | Piercing jet, reliable at any range | Scald (Power) | ×1.8 damage, +2 projectiles, +2 pierce, bigger |
| Bubble | Piplup, Popplio | Fan of bubbles that slows enemies | Surf (Sprint) | +6 projectiles, ×1.6 damage, +1 pierce |
| Ember | Charmander, Cyndaquil, Torchic, Chimchar, Tepig, Fennekin, Litten, Scorbunny, Fuecoco | Fireball at the nearest enemy | Fire Blast (Power) | ×1.8 damage, +2 projectiles, +2 pierce, bigger |
| Vine Whip | Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Turtwig, Chespin, Grookey | Long-range whips in a wide arc | Power Whip (Power) | ×1.9 damage, more range, hits in 360° |
| Razor Leaf | Treecko, Snivy, Rowlet, Sprigatito | Two boomerang leaves that cut both ways | Leaf Storm (Reflexes) | ×1.8 damage, +1 boomerang, more range |
| Confusion | Psyduck, Slowpoke | Homing wave | Psyshock (Reflexes) | ×1.8 damage, +2 projectiles, +2 pierce, bigger |
How a move reaches level 5 and evolves is covered in How to Play.
All 29 starters compared
Base stats from the game’s client data, read on 2026-10-14. These are internal numbers and can change with any update. Attack is a multiplier: 1.08 means 8% more damage than the baseline.
| Starter | Type | Starting move | HP | Speed | Attack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulbasaur | Grass/Poison | Vine Whip | 90 | 97 | 1.06 |
| Charmander | Fire | Ember | 88 | 105 | 1.03 |
| Squirtle | Water | Water Gun | 90 | 96 | 0.97 |
| Chikorita | Grass | Vine Whip | 90 | 97 | 0.97 |
| Cyndaquil | Fire | Ember | 88 | 105 | 1.03 |
| Totodile | Water | Water Gun | 92 | 96 | 1.06 |
| Treecko | Grass | Razor Leaf | 88 | 107 | 1.06 |
| Torchic | Fire | Ember | 90 | 97 | 1.08 |
| Mudkip | Water | Water Gun | 92 | 95 | 1.08 |
| Turtwig | Grass | Vine Whip | 95 | 91 | 1.07 |
| Chimchar | Fire | Ember | 90 | 104 | 1.02 |
| Piplup | Water | Bubble | 94 | 95 | 1.04 |
| Snivy | Grass | Razor Leaf | 90 | 104 | 0.95 |
| Tepig | Fire | Ember | 99 | 97 | 1.05 |
| Oshawott | Water | Water Gun | 95 | 97 | 1.05 |
| Chespin | Grass | Vine Whip | 95 | 94 | 1.04 |
| Fennekin | Fire | Ember | 88 | 103 | 1.04 |
| Froakie | Water | Water Gun | 88 | 108 | 1.04 |
| Rowlet | Grass/Flying | Razor Leaf | 101 | 96 | 1.00 |
| Litten | Fire | Ember | 90 | 107 | 1.06 |
| Popplio | Water | Bubble | 92 | 95 | 1.06 |
| Grookey | Grass | Vine Whip | 92 | 105 | 1.06 |
| Scorbunny | Fire | Ember | 92 | 107 | 1.09 |
| Sobble | Water | Water Gun | 92 | 107 | 1.08 |
| Sprigatito | Grass | Razor Leaf | 88 | 105 | 1.04 |
| Fuecoco | Fire | Ember | 100 | 93 | 1.05 |
| Quaxly | Water | Water Gun | 95 | 99 | 1.06 |
| Psyduck | Water | Confusion | 92 | 101 | 1.06 |
| Slowpoke | Water/Psychic | Confusion | 110 | 84 | 1.06 |
The spread is small: HP 88–110, speed 84–108, attack 0.95–1.09. The starting move matters more than any single stat.
Best Starter Pokémon for Beginners: Our 3 Picks
These are our recommendations, based on client data and the moves list rather than a community consensus (none exists yet).
- Mudkip or Sobble (Water Gun). Reliable range and pierce, and among the highest attack multipliers (1.08). Sobble is also fast (107). Scald needs the Power card, which is easy to want anyway.
- Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Turtwig or Grookey (Vine Whip). A wide arc that clears crowds around you. Power Whip (×1.9 damage, 360°) also evolves with Power. Chespin also has Vine Whip. Of these, Grookey is the fastest (105) and Turtwig hits hardest (1.07).
- Scorbunny (Ember). The highest attack multiplier of any starter (1.09). Ember fires one shot at a time early, but Fire Blast is a big jump.
If you want something different:
- Fast: Froakie has the top speed (108) and Water Gun. Speed is your main defence when you only move.
- Tanky: Fuecoco has 100 HP with Ember, and Rowlet has 101 with Razor Leaf. Slowpoke has the most HP (110) but is the slowest starter (84), so we don’t suggest it for a first run.
- Control: Popplio’s and Piplup’s Bubble slows enemies, which buys space. Piplup has more HP (94 vs 92).
Base stats between starters are close, so your first pick won’t make or break a run.
Best Pokémon in PokeSurvivor Overall (Beyond Starters)
Starters are only the first step. The rest of the roster, including legendaries, comes from the per-region gacha, and no one has published tested rankings for those yet. Among starters, our tier list puts Mudkip and Sobble on top early, the Water Gun and Vine Whip users on top in mid game, and Froakie on top late.
What makes a Pokémon strong over a full run, in our assessment:
- A move that evolves with a card you want anyway. Power is the general damage card, so Scald, Fire Blast and Power Whip come online without bending your build.
- Speed. You only move, so faster partners dodge more and pick up XP sooner.
- Type coverage for rifts. Each rift arena has a type, terrain and weather. See the rifts and legendaries guide for the 18 arenas.
We’ll add non-starter picks here once we have data we can stand behind.
After the first pick
- Gacha: other partners come from per-region gacha. You earn tickets by playing; bosses and rift legendaries drop ×10 tickets. See the rifts and legendaries guide.
- Upgrades: permanent upgrades bought with coins are per Pokémon. Pick one partner to invest in at first rather than spreading coins.
- Your first run: the How to Play guide covers level-up cards, evolutions and enemy types.
- Playing with friends: XP is shared in co-op, so any starter works. The co-op guide explains how to set up a room.
FAQ
What is the best starter for beginners?
In our assessment, a Water Gun starter such as Mudkip or Sobble. Water Gun is a piercing jet that is reliable at any range, so you can focus on moving.
Is Scorbunny or Mudkip better?
On paper they are close. Scorbunny has the highest attack multiplier (1.09) and more speed (107 vs 95), but Ember fires one shot at a time early. Mudkip (1.08) has Water Gun, which pierces and is easier to use on a first run. We pick Mudkip for beginners and Scorbunny if you can wait for Fire Blast.
Is the personality quiz result binding?
No. After the quiz suggests a partner you can accept it ("Let's go together!") or press "Choose another" and pick any of the 29 starters.
Can I change my partner later?
Yes. Your collection lets you choose which Pokémon you play as, normal or shiny, including ones you get from the gacha.
What starting move do Squirtle, Psyduck, Piplup and Chespin have?
From the game's client data (read 2026-10-14): Squirtle has Water Gun, Psyduck has Confusion, Piplup has Bubble and Chespin has Vine Whip. Squirtle has a low attack multiplier (0.97), so Mudkip or Sobble are better Water Gun picks.
Do shiny starters have better stats?
Not as far as we can tell. In the client data, a shiny partner is a separate collection entry you can switch to, and we found no stat change tied to it. Shiny wild enemies are different: they have double HP and give five times the XP. Treat shiny partners as cosmetic until the developer says otherwise.
What is the best starter for co-op?
There is no tested answer yet. Any starter works because XP is shared. A mix of move types (a ranged Water Gun user next to a Vine Whip user, for example) is a reasonable start.