B2W2 drops the Unova-only restriction from Black and White. Old and new Pokemon share the regional dex from the start, which completely changes the tier list. Lucario and Arcanine are available early alongside Unova picks like Excadrill and Darmanitan. The gym leader lineup is partially different from BW, and the story goes to new areas. Same Gen 5 engine, much wider team options.

How to read this tier list
Elite Pokemon
Base Stat Total of 600+
Legendary
Story-central, catchable in-game
Mythical
Rare, event-exclusive
BST
Base Stat Total (sum of all 6 stats)
Fast with strong offense
Bulky with good offense
Very high offense, slow
Extremely bulky, low offense
High offense but fragile
Bulky support, low offense
Fast utility, momentum control

  • Excadrill is still a top pick with 135 Attack and Steel/Ground STAB. But B2W2 adds old favorites to the mix — Lucario from Riolu in Floccesy Ranch and Arcanine from Growlithe in Virbank Complex are strong early options that weren't in BW. Magnezone from Magnemite in Virbank Complex is another standout with 130 Sp. Atk.

  • The biggest change: old Pokemon are back in the regional dex from the start. BW only had new Unova Pokemon, but B2W2 mixes in classics like Arcanine, Lucario, and Eevee. Some gym leaders are different (Cheren replaces Lenora, Roxie is new). The story is a sequel set two years later with new protagonists. And the Pokemon World Tournament lets you fight every past gym leader and Champion.

  • Oshawott is still the safest pick. Samurott's balanced stats and Water typing cover the most gym matchups. Starters matter less in B2W2 than in BW though, since the expanded dex gives you strong early alternatives. You can grab Riolu, Growlithe, and Magnemite before the second gym, so your starter doesn't need to carry as hard.

  • Black 2 gets Zekrom (swapped from White) and Challenge Mode. White 2 gets Reshiram and Easy Mode. The box legendaries swap between BW and B2W2. Challenge Mode in Black 2 raises trainer levels and gives gym leaders smarter AI — it's the only official hard mode in the series. That alone makes Black 2 the pick for experienced players.

  • Samurott (starter), Arcanine from Growlithe in Virbank Complex, Magnezone from Magnemite in Virbank, Excadrill from Drilbur in Relic Passage, Lucario from Riolu in Floccesy Ranch, and Flygon from Trapinch in Desert Resort. Solid mix of old and new with full type coverage.

  • It's the closest thing to an official hard mode Pokemon has ever had. Trainers are higher level, gym leaders have better held items and smarter AI, and some carry extra Pokemon. It makes the game noticeably harder without being unfair. The catch: you unlock it by beating Black 2 and transferring the key to another copy via IR. Some players use save editors to enable it from the start.

  • They're fine but less important. In BW, your starter carried early because the dex was all new Pokemon. In B2W2, you can grab Riolu, Growlithe, and Magnemite before the second gym — all strong picks that reduce how much your starter matters. Emboar is the weakest of the three since Fire/Fighting is a tired combo by Gen 5, but it still hits hard enough.