Doable at trainer level 30 with proper counters
| HP | 15,000 | ATK | 197.57 | DEF | 146.20 |
|---|
| CP Range | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lvl 20 | 2073 - 2160 | Lvl 25 | 2591 - 2701 |
Notable Weather
Fast Move Difficulty
| Move | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Tackle | Easy |
| Zen Headbutt | Intermediate |
Charge Move Difficulty
| Move | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Moonblast | Easy |
| Close Combat | Intermediate |
| Megahorn | Intermediate |
| Giga Impact | Challenging |
| Thunder | Challenging |
Overview
Xerneas is Pokemon Go's unfortunate new poster-child for unfulfilled potential, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's a cake-walk to take down. Despite being limited to nothing but 100-energy cost charged moves and fast moves that aren't the best against many of its counters, the Life Pokemon's impressively wide movepool makes it a potentially dangerous threat in raids. A Duo is possible, but due to the fact that its viability can vary greatly depending on what moveset Xerneas is packing, this guide will focus on the Trio instead.
Approach
Team composition
-
Xerneas only has two weaknesses: Steel and Poison.
-
Steel Types tend to have superior performance in general, but we currently don't have a Steel Type Mega Evolution, and Snow isn't the most common weather in many parts of the world.
-
Poison Types have lower average performance, but are frequently weather boosted in many areas and can be boosted via several very viable Mega Evolutions.
-
Shadow Metagross is the general top pick, with normal Metagross not far behind
-
Try to work with your raid team in order to ensure that players use Poison Types with proper timing if a Poison Mega is going to be on the field
Battling strategy
-
Re-entering may be necessary; strong lineups won’t have to re-enter
-
Dodging is recommended.
Note: "Good" movesets are not necessarily viable at the level indicated.
Best Raid Boss Counters
Mega Evolution Counters
Mega Beedrill
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Poison Jab | Sludge Bomb | Best |
Pros:
- Highest DPS Mega Evolution option
- Mega Evolution, boost team Attack and Poison Type damage while on the field
- Resists Moonblast and Megahorn, double resists Close Combat
Cons:
- Weak to Zen Headbutt
- Taken out easily by Giga Impact unless dodged
- Mega Evolution, requires energy to activate
- Frail, appreciates dodging
Mega Gengar
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Lick | Sludge Bomb | Best |
| Shadow Claw | Sludge Bomb | Best |
Pros:
- Second highest DPS Mega Evolution option by a small margin with substantially higher average TDO
- Mega Evolution, boost team Attack and Poison Type damage while on the field
- Resists Moonblast, double resists Megahorn, Tackle, and Giga Impact, triple resists Close Combat
Cons:
- Weak to Zen Headbutt
- Mega Evolution, requires energy to activate
- Best moveset is Elite
Mega Venusaur
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Vine Whip | Sludge Bomb | Best |
Pros:
- Mega Evolution, boost team Attack and Poison Type damage while on the field
- Resists Moonblast, Close Combat, and Thunder.
Cons:
- Weak to Zen Headbutt
- Mega Evolution, requires energy to activate
Counters Viable at Lv.25
Shadow Metagross
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Bullet Punch | Meteor Mash | Best |
Pros:
- Best overall counter, sports an outstanding mix of DPS and TDO
- Resists Moonblast, Tackle, and Giga Impact. Double resists Zen Headbutt
Cons:
- Shadow Pokemon, expensive to raise and requires an event to remove Frustration.
- Best moveset is Elite
Metagross
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Bullet Punch | Meteor Mash | Best |
Pros:
- Best non-shadow counter, sports an outstanding mix of DPS and TDO
- Resists Moonblast, Tackle, and Giga Impact. Double resists Zen Headbutt
Cons:
- Best moveset is Elite
Shadow Victreebel
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Acid | Sludge Bomb | Best |
Pros:
- Fastest non-Mega, Poison Type counter
- Resists Moonblast, Close Combat, and Thunder.
Cons:
- Shadow Pokemon, expensive to raise and requires an event to remove Frustration.
- Taken out easily by Giga Impact unless dodged
- Frail, dodging is highly recommended
Shadow Mewtwo
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Psycho Cut | Psystrike | Best |
Pros:
- Solid generalist option, useful in many raids
- Resists Zen Headbutt and Close Combat
Cons:
- Legendary Pokemon, candy can be difficult to obtain
- Shadow Pokemon, expensive to raise and requires an event to remove Frustration.
- Weak to Megahorn
- Taken out easily by Giga Impact unless dodged
- Frail, appreciates dodging
Dialga
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Metal Claw | Iron Head | Best |
Pros:
- Solid TDO option, great for staying in the game.
- Resists Tackle, Zen Headbutt, Megahorn, Giga Impact, and Thunder
Cons:
- Weak to Close Combat
- Legendary Pokemon, candy can be difficult to obtain
Counters Viable at Lv.30
Shadow Vileplume
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Acid | Sludge Bomb | Best |
Pros:
- Resists Moonblast, Close Combat, and Thunder.
Cons:
- Shadow Pokemon, expensive to raise and requires an event to remove Frustration.
- Taken out easily by Giga Impact unless dodged
- Frail, dodging is highly recommended
Shadow Scizor
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Bullet Punch | Iron Head | Best |
Pros:
- Resists Tackle, Zen Headbutt, Moonblast, Megahorn, and Giga Impact
Cons:
- Shadow Pokemon, expensive to raise and requires an event to remove Frustration.
Genesect
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Metal Claw | Magnet Bomb | Best |
Pros:
- Resists Tackle, Zen Headbutt, Moonblast, Megahorn, and Giga Impact
- All Genesect variants are usable in this manner
Excadrill
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Metal Claw | Iron Head | Best |
Pros:
- Resists Tackle, Zen Headbutt, Moonblast, and Giga Impact. Double-resists Megahorn and Thunder
Cons:
- Weak to Close Combat
Gengar
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
Pros:
- Resists Moonblast, double resists Megahorn, Tackle, and Giga Impact, triple resists Close Combat
Cons:
- Weak to Zen Headbutt
- Best moveset is Elite
- Frail, appreciates dodging
Jirachi
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Charge Beam | Doom Desire | Best |
Pros:
- Solid TDO option
- Resists Moonblast, Tackle, and Giga Impact. Double resists Zen Headbutt
Cons:
- Mythical Pokemon, candy can be difficult to obtain
Shadow Aggron
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Iron Tail | Heavy Slam | Best |
Pros:
- Resists Tackle, Zen Headbutt, Moonblast, Megahorn, and Giga Impact
- Yes, it's okay to use Shadow Aggron. Its performance is actually solid.
Cons:
- Shadow Pokemon, expensive to raise and requires an event to remove Frustration.
- Double weak to Close Combat
Roserade
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Poison Jab | Sludge Bomb | Best |
Pros:
- Best non-Mega/non-Shadow Poison Type
- Resists Moonblast, Close Combat, and Thunder.
Cons:
- Taken out easily by Giga Impact unless dodged
Shadow Machamp
| Fast Move | Charge Move | Rating |
|---|
| Bullet Punch | Heavy Slam | Best |
Pros:
- Resists Megahorn
Cons:
- Weak to Zen Headbutt and Moonblast
- Frail, dodging is highly recommended
- Shadow Pokemon, expensive to raise and requires an event to remove Frustration.
- Taken out easily by Giga Impact unless dodged
