A few weeks ago, the official announcement the second day of Go Fest 2021, Sunday the 18th, is set to feature the widest assortment of raid bosses that we've ever seen at one time.
This, when combined with the fact that we're going to be given access to numerous Raid Passes to take full advantage of the event, leaves us with a staggering wall of Legendary Pokemon staring us in the eye. While many of us already have our priorities set and ready for the evet, the targets may not be entirely obvious for others. In order to help grant a bit of direction, we've compiled the list of all of the announced raid bosses, and have included condensed PvE and PvP reviews as to how high of a priority they should be. Keep in mind that this article is based on the data that we have right now, and we can't know what's coming in the future. If, for example, the Ultra Unlock gives us weeks of Palkia and/or Dialga (which they very well may), then it would be less recommended to focus on them for the event, but we can't know that as of right now.
The Raid Bosses
Wind Hour: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
PvE Review
Mewtwo would be a top contender for this event hands-down if not for the fact that it's been announced to be a part of the regular rotation in the near future. It remains one of the top non-shadow Pokemon in the game, and can look forward to Mega Mewtwo X and especially Mega Mewtwo Y in the future, so this might be a good chance to catch a few if you're normally dry for raids, but it's probably best to hold onto your raid passes and just try for it during its normal rotation. Just remember that it doesn't have any Elite Moves confirmed for Go Fest or its upcoming raid boss rotation.
PvP Review
Mewtwo is Master League’s best safe switch. Psystrike’s raw power combined with Mewtwo’s hugely versatile set of secondary charged moves makes it incredibly threatening against virtually any team. If you like Master League, you’ll want to have a Mewtwo. Maybe two. Or more. Just keep in mind that, unless something gets announced last-minute, you’ll need to spend an Elite TM on each one to get Psystrike.
PvE Review
In theory, Ho-oh should see the release of its Fire Type signature move, Sacred Fire, fairly soon. Of course our saying that means that it won’t actually drop until 2025. Ho-oh is bulky, and at least capable as an attacker, but it’s low on DPS and a traditionally very common Tier 5 boss. Just go for Reshiram instead.
PvP Review
Ho-Oh is Master League’s Brave Bird user. It’s incredibly bulky (surviving a Rock Slide from Melmetal), and can hit everything in the format super hard for at least neutral damage. Nothing wants to take a move from Ho-Oh, and that makes it very threatening. While it’s probably not your top priority, it’s certainly a valuable addition to any Master League player’s roster. Note that you will need an Elite TM to get Earthquake. Ho-Oh isn’t playable without it.
PvE Review
Sadly, Latias is among the worst Dragon Type or Psychic Type Legendaries when it comes to raiding. It has a Mega Evolution and Mist Ball as a Psychic Type signature move, but it’s very likely to be eternally outclassed moving forward.
PvP Review
Despite being the bulkier of the Latis, it’s honestly not that bulky, and its slow moveset does it no favors. Don’t bother with this one.
PvE Review
Latios is… let’s be honest, the only real reason to go for Latios is for Mega Latios in the future. But even with the Psychic Type signature move Luster Purge, it will probably still be way behind Mewtwo in most cases. It can operate well, but it’s fairly common and nothing outstanding.
PvP Review
“Oh boy, Dragon Breath + Dragon Claw!” Except Dragonite does it better, without getting torn in half by Ghost-types. Don’t use Latios.
PvE Review
Behold the patriarch of the black sheep family! Regigias is actually capable of operating in select raids by virtue of its sheer base power, but its normal typing and recent run as a Tier 5 boss make it one of the weakest choices for this event by far.
PvP Review
Regigigas is a meme, and not even a particularly funny one. Don’t bother.
PvE Review
Well, it can look forward to a Ghost Type Signature move in Shadow Force… but it has one problem; it’s not Origin Forme. One factor worth noting (that somewhat rides the line between PvP and PvE) is the fact that Giratina - Altered Forme is an absolute monster when it comes to Rocket battles, so hunting down a solid one for that if you're having trouble with rockets is not a bad idea.
PvP Review
Giratina-Altered is the single most format-defining Pokémon in Open Ultra league. If you play Open Ultra, you’ll really want a Gira-A. It’s also incredibly strong (and criminally slept on) in Master League, with its high bulk giving it a playable matchup against virtually everything in the format!
PvE Review
Only raid the shining duck if you want to be a sitting duck.
PvP Review
Cresselia is Open Ultra League’s other best Pokémon. Super bulky, super spammy, and has solid play against virtually everything. Cress good! Get a Cress! The Elite TM for Grass Knot is optional here, depending on what exactly you want out of your Cresselia.
PvE Review
It's better than the Regi trio?
PvP Review
Virizion feels close to being good, but it’s just not right now. Don’t worry too much about this one. It’s gotta get a full release with Sacred Sword eventually, anyway.
PvE Review
If you’re absolutely desperate for a Flying Type attacker… then ignore Tornadus and go for virtually any of the other Flying Types on this list.
PvP Review
Torn-T just isn’t good. Don’t bother.
Lava Hour: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
PvE Review
While outclassed by Reshiram as a Fire Type, Moltres can become great in its own right with the use of an Elite TM to add Sky Attack. This can be especially useful for new players, as a 2nd move can grant a powerful Fire and Flying Attacker with one Stardust/Candy investment
PvP Review
Low bulk and exploitable typing leaves Moltres pretty much unplayed in PvP. Use Ho-Oh, Charizard, or Talonflame instead if you’ve got Fire/Flying cravings
PvE Review
Remember the age-old debates of Entei Vs. Moltres? While an okay Pokemon nowadays, any raid passes spent on Entei now are raid passes not spent on Reshiram.
PvP Review
Entei is more or less just Bad Heatran in PvP, and Heatran’s already niche. Don’t bother.
PvE Review
Remember when we had so few good Rock types that Regirock was an acceptable fringe-pick? Yeah, me neither.
PvP Review
Regirock is...interesting, but not great. It sees incredibly niche play in Great League (though you can’t even get a sub-1500 one from raid level), and sees no play whatsoever in Ultra or Master. Don’t bother.
PvE Review
The traditional Ground Type king, Groudon has long been… a solid pick, overall. While it’s not as dominant in its role as Kyogre is in the Water meta due to Ground having traditionally low-powered moves, it’s still a good Pokemon, if only due to the rise of Primal Groudon (which will probably count as a Mega Evolution) and the fact that its Ground Type Signature Move, Precipice Blades, could finally break the Ground Type move curse some day.
PvP Review
Groudon’s very strong in Master League, as one of the best counters to both Melmetal and Dialga. While you will need to invest an Elite TM into getting Fire Punch, Groudon’s power absolutely makes it worth the raid passes.
PvE Review
Need some bulk in basically any raid that’s weak to Fire? Then Heatran is your ‘mon. This thing literally double-resists every single type that is weak to Fire in the game, making it great as a TDO option that could get even better if it’s given its Fire Type signature move, Magma Storm.. Still, its DPS is fairly low, and it’s a fairly common Tier 5, so it’s probably best to skip.
PvP Review
Heatran has, in the past, seen a bit of niche play in Master League. That’s about where it’s capped, though. It has a very powerful anti-Charm matchup, but it’s superfluous to your primary ML roster. If you want to splurge, maybe.
PvE Review
If you need any Fire power when going into this event, then Reshiram should be a high priority. It sports huge power and a typing that is very advantageous for many of its matchups. It's also been a rare sight thus far, showing up only during its debut and now, making it an excellent goal for the event!
PvP Review
Sadly, Reshiram sees virtually no play in Master League. It doesn’t do anything better than the other Dragon Breath users, and its Fire typing leaves it in a bad place against so many Pokémon (Melmetal, Groudon, Kyogre). Not worth it.
PvE Review
Terakion is a solid Rock Type attacker, but it's really not great by any stretch of the imagination. Shame; years ago it was expected to be the king of Rock Types, but not it's not even a recommended raid.
PvP Review
Terrakion’s got bad PvP typing, and an underwhelming PvP moveset. Don’t spend your raid passes here.
PvE Review
Need some Ground Type damage? Then you need Landorus - Therian Forme. This Pokemon’s monstrous attack stat allows it to dominate the Ground Type landscape. This is especially nice for newer players, as Ground has outstanding type-coverage, meaning the investment in one Landorus - Therian Forme could pay dividends in many raids in the future.
PvP Review
Lando-T is an incredibly interesting mon in Master League. You completely forgo Earthquake to run Superpower + Stone Edge, giving it a scary hit-and-run playstyle. It’s not one of the most important Pokémon to prioritize, but its power is undeniable.
PvE Review
Admittedly, Yveltal is a bit of a sad case. The stat-conversion formula wasn’t super kind to it, leaving it best described as “good” in its roles. Still, its ability to act on the Flying or Dark sides makes for nice role compression, and the potential for a Flying Type signature move in Oblivion Wing also makes it worth considering.
PvP Review
Yveltal’s got bulk and coverage. The only thing that actually walls it in Master League is Togekiss. An incredibly strong matchup against Mewtwo and Giratina makes it more than playable. Access to Focus Blast to threaten Melmetal and Dialga makes it strong. It’s a relatively recent release, but it’s seeing a lot of Master League play, and is absolutely worth raiding.
Frost Hour: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
PvE Review
The original Legendary Pokemon of Pokemon Go, Articuno has not aged well. It's defensively-oriented, and even lacks the power needed to be genuinely meta even as a Shadow Pokemon. This is an easy skip.
PvP Review
Articuno sees some play in the Ultra League, being the format’s premier Icy Wind spammer. If you play a lot of Open Ultra, Articuno can fill a very valuable role in your roster. Elite TMing to get Hurricane is optional.
PvE Review
Suicune has no future. Literally; its only STAB fast move is an Elite Move that only has a 1/16 chance of actually being STAB. Imagine dropping an Elite TM on a 100% Suicune only to discover that its Hidden Power type is Poison or some other type with no real utility next to Suicune’s moves. Avoid Suicune like the plague during this event!
PvP Review
Suicune’s...not great. Its bulk has allowed it to see some very niche play in Great and Ultra League, but it’s absolutely not a mon to focus on.
PvE Review
Common? Check. Less than stellar DPS? Check. No foreseeable future power? Check. Lugia can be great for new players seeking to get into raid solos, but it’s not particularly great to raid during this event. Just wait a few months and it will probably be back.
PvP Review
Lugia’s strong. It sees a little bit of niche play in Ultra League, but where it really shines is in Master League, as the Pokémon with the highest stat product in the entire game. It takes less than 50% from a Mewtwo’s Ice Beam. While the prevalence of Steel-types leaves it in a bit of an iffy place in the format, it’s still a really strong mon that sees a good bit of play! Keep in mind that you’ll need an Elite TM to get access to Aeroblast!
PvE Review
Regice has the least competition to contend with among its brethren, but it’s still vastly outclassed as a raid attacker and a very common Tier 5. This is a fundamental skip.
PvP Review
Regice is...kinda funny, at least? But in virtually every context where it’s good, Registeel’s better. Don’t stress too much about this one.
PvE Review
The traditional Water Type king, Kyogre has long been a staple attacker for many players for many years. It’s strong and useful, and it has a lot to look forward to! Primal Kyogre is slated to be very powerful (and will likely count as a Mega Evolution), and its Water Type Signature move, Origin Pulse, could breathe new life into the beast of the sea some day. Still, at the moment it's no longer the top Water Type, and it’s not exactly a rare raid boss. Solid pick overall.
PvP Review
Kyogre is one of the linchpins of the Master League format. It’s got bulk, it’s got very consistent damage with Waterfall + Surf, and it can even threaten the format’s Dragons with Blizzard. Easily one of the most valuable Pokémon you could add to your roster.
PvE Review
Much like its brother Dialga, Palkia has been a rare sight in Pokemon Go, only seen during its debut and Go Fest 2020. However, Palkia tends to be a bit less desirable as an attacker in general. It lacks Dialga’s ability to take neutral Dragon damage, and while its DPS is a bit higher by comparison, it also falls behind other Dragon-Weak Dragons like Rayquaza. Still, it has the Dragon Type signature move Spacial Rend to look forward to, and its Water sub-typing can be very useful in select raids, making it a solid choice regardless.
PvP Review
Palkia sees a fair bit of play in Master League! Dragon Breath + Aqua Tail gives it some nice spammy pressure, and Draco Meteor in the back hits hard. It’s not the most important thing to have in your roster, but it could certainly be worth the passes if it’s a mon you’re interested in! It helps that its typing lets it hard check Kyogre, too!
PvE Review
Grab one for the dex filler and then bury it way, way deep in your bag.
PvP Review
Uxie was always theorized as an interesting Cresselia alternative. Then everyone got access to it, and we realized it’s just not that good. Maybe get one for Great League, but it’s mostly a dex entry.
PvE Review
Grab one for the dex filler and then bury it in your bag.
PvP Review
Nope.
PvE Review
Azelf is capable of acting as a Psychic Type attacker, and… that’s it. Only go after Azelf if you need it for your region.
PvP Review
Don’t bother.
PvE Review
The trio-master of Reshiram and Zekrom, which I literally won’t shut up about in this article! Kyurem got nothing that its brothers have, not even an Ice Type fast move. It does have the Ice Type Glaciate in its future most likely, and we have a slim chance that existing Kyurem could transform into Kyurem Black or White, but the odds of base-forme Kyurem gaining notoriety in the future are fairly low.
PvP Review
Kyurem’s just another Dragon Breath user, outclassed by a bunch of other Dragon Breath users. Kyurem-Black/White when?
Thunder Hour: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
PvE Review
Team Instinct Represent! Zapdos was once in the running for the title of “best bird”, but Moltres largely wrapped up that title when it got Sky Attack. Zapdos is decent, but it’s also common and, again, not Zekrom.
PvP Review
Zapdos saw a little niche play in Great and Ultra League a long time ago, but at this point it’s fallen completely out of the meta. If there’s ever a Master League Remix, maybe, but don’t worry about this one. Note that you would need an Elite TM to get Thunder Shock.
PvE Review
While not as impressive as it once was, Raikou is still a strong Electric Type attacker that can pull its own weight. Just note that it’s probably better to just go with Zekrom if possible!
PvP Review
Raikou just isn’t really a thing in PvP. It’s got great moves, but it lacks the bulk to really leverage them. In Master League, it can’t even consistently handle Kyogre!
PvE Review
Raid-wise, Registeel is the black sheep of the black sheep family that is the Regi trio. It’s comically outclassed, very common, and not worth raiding for.
PvP Review
While it’s mostly fallen out of favor in Great League, it’s still worth having for special GBL cups. More notably, though, XL Registeel is incredibly strong in Open Ultra League. If you’re willing to make the investment, this is one Pokémon that’s absolutely worth trying for.
PvE Review
Much like Mewtwo, Rayquaza sports an oppressive raid presence and has a devastating Mega Evolution on the horizon. Rayquaza is a must-have for any raider. Rayquaza also has a Flying Type Signature Move on the horizon called Dragon Ascent, which is likely to shift the meta when it hits. However, the fact is that Rayquaza has been, historically, one of the more common five-star raid bosses. So while Rayquaza is an outstanding investment, It might be better to save your raid passes for the rare Pokemon in the event.
PvP Review
Despite the Dragon Tail buff, Rayquaza just doesn’t have the moves or the bulk to see play in PvP.
PvE Review
Dialga is yet another rare face for this event. Historically, it’s only been seen during its debut and Go Fest 2020. As a raider, Dialga sits in a very unique place, as it’s the only non-Mega Dragon Type Pokemon currently in the game that’s not weak to Dragon Type moves. It is a bit weaker than other Dragons such as Rayquaza in terms of DPS, but it has the strength to be worth using and can look forward to a signature move in the Dragon Type Roar of Time some day. You could definitely do worse than raiding for Dialga!
PvP Review
Dialga is the single most important Pokémon in Master League. If that’s a format you’re interested in, we can’t recommend Dialga enough. It’s highly IV dependent, too. Remember: If you don’t have a 15/14/12 (or better) Dialga, you don’t have a Dialga. Catch it, max it, and Best Buddy it if you plan on using it.
PvE Review
Cobalion's power is just far too low to be worth considering for raids. It falls far behind even non-Legendary/non-Shadow Pokemon in both of its types.
PvP Review
Cobalion seems like the kind of Pokémon that could see play in Ultra or Master with a minor change, but it has no good fast moves. Maybe if Metal Claw gets buffed? Don’t think too hard about this one.
PvE Review
To be perfectly honest, it’s probably better to just go for Zekrom if possible, but Thundurus- Therian Forme is actually pretty solid in its own right. It’s glassy and requires dodging skills to operate at peak efficiency, but it can put in the work!
PvP Review
Thundurus-T lacks the bulk (and, frankly, the relevant typing) to see any play in PvP.
PvE Review
If your raid group is lacking Electric Type damage, then Zekrom should probably be a major priority in this event. It can rival many Electric Type Shadows in terms of overall performance, and has thus far been a very rare raid that hasn’t broken the scene since its debut. Zekrom also has two signature moves on the horizon in the form of the Electric Type Fusion Bolt and Bolt Strike, though one or both of these are likely a ways away. Zekrom is also an outstanding Pokemon for newer players to try for, as it can perform very well as a Dragon Type attacker as well as an Electric Type attacker, making its investment more valuable when on a budget.
PvP Review
Zekrom sees a little bit of play in Master League, though it’s far from top meta. It can be worth having if you want to run something a little spicier, but we can’t quite recommend this one if you’re just starting to build a Master League roster.
PvE Review
It burns to say this, but the pragmatic fact of the matter is that Xerneas is undeniably bad, and has little hope. It has a Fairy Type Signature move in Geomancy, but that probably won’t fix poor Xerneas. Skip!
PvP Review
No.
The ideal way to look at this event is as an opportunity to obtain rare and powerful resources, and striking a balance between rarity and utility for each individual should make the choices obvious. However; Pokemon Go is also a game, and everyone has a different way of playing. Are Raikou or Zapdos your favorite Pokemon in the game? Then go for them. Do you need to catch a specific Legendary Pokemon set for your Dex? Then throw your raid passes in that direction. Just know what you may be missing out either way, and have fun with Go Fest 2021!
