Pokemon Go Raid Counters: Everything I Wish I Knew Before Wasting 47 Raid Passes

Here’s a stat that still haunts me — I once burned through 12 premium raid passes in a single afternoon trying to duo a Mega Rayquaza raid with absolutely the wrong lineup. Twelve! My buddy and I kept timing out with the boss at like 5% HP, and I couldn’t figure out why until a kind stranger in the lobby pointed out my “counters” were basically garbage. That was the day I finally got serious about understanding Pokemon Go raid counters, and honestly, it changed the entire game for me.

Whether you’re chasing five-star legendary raids or trying to solo a three-star boss on your lunch break, knowing which Pokemon to bring into battle is everything. It’s not just about having high CP attackers — it’s about type effectiveness, movesets, and sometimes a little bit of luck. Let me walk you through what I’ve learned the hard way.

Why Type Effectiveness Is the Whole Ballgame

Okay so this might sound basic, but you’d be surprised how many trainers (myself included, for way too long) just throw their strongest Pokemon into raids without thinking about type matchups. Pokemon Go uses the same type effectiveness chart from the main series games, meaning a well-chosen super effective attacker at level 30 can outperform a maxed-out level 50 Pokemon that deals neutral damage. It’s wild how much difference it makes.

For example, when Kyogre shows up in raids, you don’t want to bring your best Mewtwo just because it has high stats. You want Electric and Grass types like Kartana, Mega Sceptile, or Zekrom smacking it with super effective moves. I learned this the embarrassing way when my team of six Dragonites got absolutely wrecked by a Mamoswine raid boss — turns out Dragons are weak to Ice, who knew? (Everyone. Everyone knew.)

My Go-To Resources for Finding the Best Counters

I’m not gonna pretend I memorize every single counter for every raid boss. Nobody does. Instead, I rely on a few killer resources that have saved me countless raid passes and a whole lot of frustration.

• Pokemon GO Hub’s raid counter guides are updated constantly and break down the top counters with specific movesets.
• Pokebattler is honestly the gold standard — you can plug in your actual Pokemon collection and it tells you your personal best team. Game changer.
• The Pokeminers community on Reddit usually datamines upcoming raid bosses before they even drop, so you can prep ahead of time.

Seriously, bookmark Pokebattler. I cannot stress this enough. It accounts for weather boost, friendship bonus, and your Pokemon’s individual IVs. It was being recommended to me for months before I actually used it, and I regret every day I waited.

Don’t Sleep on Shadow Pokemon and Megas

One thing that completely leveled up my raid game was investing in Shadow Pokemon. Shadow attackers deal 20% more damage than their regular versions, which is absolutely nuts when you’re trying to beat the clock. My Shadow Machamp has basically carried me through every Normal, Rock, Steel, Ice, and Dark type raid for the past two years.

Mega evolutions are also ridiculously good because they boost the attack of all your raid party members using the same type moves. So if you mega evolve your Gengar in a Psychic-type raid, everyone throwing Ghost and Poison moves gets a damage boost too. It’s like being a team player and a beast at the same time.

If you want a great visual breakdown of how Shadow and Mega Pokemon perform in raids, this video does a solid job explaining it:

Watch: Best Raid Attackers in Pokemon GO (YouTube)

Quick Tips I Learned From Too Many Failed Raids

• Always check the raid boss’s moveset before picking your team — a Groudon with Solar Beam will destroy your Water-type counters.
• Power up a solid team of six counters rather than spreading resources thin across 20 different Pokemon.
• Weather boosted raids are harder, but your weather boosted attackers also hit harder. Use it to your advantage.
• Dodge only the charged moves. Trying to dodge everything just wastes DPS and you’ll time out.

Go Catch ‘Em All (But Smarter This Time)

Look, raid counters aren’t rocket science, but they do take a little homework. The difference between a failed raid and a smooth victory usually comes down to preparation, not just player count. Take five minutes before each raid to check your counters and you’ll notice your win rate — and your rare candy stash — improve dramatically.

Don’t be like past-me wasting premium passes on vibes alone. And hey, if you want more tips on Pokemon Go and other gaming guides, swing by the Glitch Lane blog — we’ve got plenty more where this came from!