Pokémon Go Dynamax Raikou Battle Guide Weaknesses Counters and Strategies

Dynamax Raikou storms into Pokémon GO as a formidable Tier 5 Max Battle boss, challenging trainers to exploit its rare vulnerability-Ground-type moves-to claim victory. With its pure Electric typing, Raikou resists Electric, Flying, and Steel attacks, making strategic counter choices like Dynamax Excadrill essential for success. Whether you’re coordinating with a team or gearing up solo, mastering Raikou’s weaknesses and battle tactics is key to capturing this electrifying Legendary beast.

During this event, you’ll be able to claim more Max Particles each day (up to 1,600 from 800), you’ll get more Max Particles from Power Spots, the amount you have to walk to get particles will be cut down to 1/4, and Power Spots will refresh more often.

From March 10 until the Max Battle Weekend ends, the particle cost to power up Max Moves has also been cut to 3/4 the usual amount, so it’s a great time to build some counters.

Below, we list out some general Max Battle tips and counters for Dynamax Raikou in Pokémon Go.

Dynamax Raikou weakness

Dynamax Raikou, being a pure Electric-type Pokémon, has a single and clear weakness: Ground-type moves. This makes Ground-type Pokémon with strong Ground attacks the most effective counters during battles. Raikou resists Electric, Flying, and Steel moves, limiting the options for super-effective damage. Trainers should focus on using powerful Ground-type attackers such as Excadrill, Groudon, and Garchomp to exploit this weakness. Additionally, weather conditions like rain boost Raikou’s Electric moves, making the fight more challenging, so battling in non-rainy weather is advisable to maximize the effectiveness of Ground-type counters. Utilizing Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon with Ground-type moves can also provide strategic advantages in these Max Battles.

Raikou is a solo electric-type Pokémon, meaning it only has one weakness: ground-type moves. There is a glaringly obvious best choice when it comes to taking down Dynamax Raikou because of this, but we’ll get to that in the next section.

All of that said, Raikou will take less damage from flying-, steel-, and electric-type moves, so try not to bring Pokémon with those moves, unless you’re using the fast moves to build up your max meter.

Dynamax Raikou best counters

Dynamax Raikou’s best counters in Pokémon GO primarily revolve around exploiting its sole weakness to Ground-type attacks. The top choice is Dynamax Excadrill with Mud Shot, which is highly effective due to its Ground typing and strong damage output. Other strong counters include Gigantamax Venusaur with Vine Whip and Gigantamax Gengar using Shadow Claw, though caution is advised if Raikou has Shadow Ball, which can threaten Gengar. Defensive options also favor Excadrill and Venusaur. Since Raikou resists Flying, Steel, and Electric moves, Ground-type attackers are essential, making Excadrill the standout counter for this Max Battle encounter.

There is a definitive answer to the best counter for Dynamax Raikou, and it’s Excadrill. As I’ve noted in the past, Excadrill remains one of the best investments for Max Battles, and now is no exception.

Here’s a wider, more specific list of best attackers:

Dynamax Excadrill with Mud Shot
Gigantamax Venusaur with Vine Whip
Dynamax Venusaur with Vine Whip
Gigantamax Gengar with Shadow Claw

Note that Raikou can have Shadow Ball as part of its moveset, putting Gengar at risk. If it does have this, make sure to swap your Gengar out and allow something else to tank. (You shouldn’t really be using Gengar to tank moves to begin with, but it’s worth pointing out that you should be extra careful here.)

For tanks, you’ll want to bring one or two of the following:

Dynamax Excadrill with Mud Shot
Gigantamax Venusaur with Vine Whip

There aren’t many strong other options, honestly. Most of the stronger attackers (like Charizard) or tanks (like Blastoise) will take increased damage from Raikou, so we’re not working with much here, but Excadrill is such a strong counter that you don’t really need a variety of options. You’ll want to bring at least one Excadrill and then fill up your team with any of the other Pokémon, if you got them.

That being said, until the Max Battle weekend ends, there is a Timed Research that rewards you with a Dynamax Drilbur, alongside tons of Drilbur Candy and Max Particles to help you power up a Drilbur/Excadrill. There isn’t too much of an excuse as to why you wouldn’t be able to bring one to the battle.

General Max Battle Tips

For general Max Battle tips in Pokémon GO, focus on building a team with versatile Pokémon that can cover multiple types and teach them a second charged attack to increase your strategic options. During Max Battles, start by using fast moves to quickly charge your Max meter, dodging attacks by swiping when you see the indicator, and collecting bonus Max meter boosts when available. Once your Max meter is full, unleash powerful Max Moves and switch Pokémon without cooldown to adapt to the battle flow. Smart use of Protect Shields to block crucial charged attacks and timely switching between Pokémon can turn the tide of battle. Coordinating with teammates to maximize Max meter charge and using Pokémon with moves that exploit the opponent’s weaknesses, such as Ground-type moves against Dynamax Raikou, will improve your chances of victory.

If you’ve been struggling in Max Battles, here are some general tips to survive – and make sure you’re an asset to your team. While Gigantamax Battles are tough, a Legendary Max Battle shouldn’t be as tough as that. You can slack a little, but you should still heed our advice:

Make sure you have enough players. High-efficiency players with maxed out investments will likely be able to solo Raikou, but this isn’t going to be realistic for most people. Try to go at it with three other players for the highest chance of winning. Note that unlike Gigantamax Pokémon, the Dynamax Legendary Pokémon have a max party size of four (rather than 40).
Don’t sleep on Max Spirit and Max Guard. Teams work best when there’s a variety of moves, not just maxed-out attacks. Each player should bring Pokémon with the defensive and healing moves unlocked as well. Max Guard will focus single-target damage towards you and reduce the damage taken and Max Spirit will heal the whole party, so these moves are really important to make sure your damage-dealers can keep dishing.
Remember to swap to super effective moves when it’s time to Dynamax. For Dynamax Pokémon, their max moves are determined by whatever type their fast move is. This means if you have a Cryogonal with Frost Breath, it will know Max Hailstorm. A Gengar with Lick will know Max Phantasm. Take advantage of this and make sure to swap to a Pokémon that will deal super effective damage to your target before Dynamaxing, if you can.
Focus on your fast moves. You want to spam your fast moves to build up that Dynamax meter and often times, using your charge move is actually a DPS loss when compared to the damage you could be doing with your max move will be. Spam those attacks!
Level up a few ’mons, but you don’t have to go too hard. Depending on your group size, you absolutely do not need to max out all your Dynamax Pokémon to level 40-50. While this will make it easier on the rest of your group, if this isn’t an investment you can make, you don’t have to stress about it. Power things up as high as you can afford to, but don’t fret if you don’t have a maxed out Pokémon.
All that said, make sure to come as prepared as you can be. This is a team effort and there’s a chance that a full group of four can still fail. Do not just bring your unleveled Dynamax Wooloo expecting a free ride to a powerful Pokémon. (After all, if everyone does that, then you certainly won’t clear the battle.) Again, you don’t have to completely max out your Pokémon, but it will be better for everyone involved if you bring something helpful to the table.
Keep your eye out for a shiny Raikou! If you clear the raid, there is a chance that the Raikou you catch will be shiny – which also means it’ll be a guaranteed catch. Use a Pinap Berry to score extra candy if you get lucky enough to find a sparkly Raikou.

How can I maximize my chances of defeating Dynamax Raikou with the best counters

To maximize your chances of defeating Dynamax Raikou in Pokémon GO, focus on using powerful Ground-type Pokémon, as Raikou’s sole weakness is Ground-type moves. The top counter by far is Dynamax Excadrill with Mud Shot, which deals massive super-effective damage and charges Max Moves quickly. Other excellent Ground-type counters include Landorus (Therian Forme), Groudon, Garchomp, Rhyperior, and Krookodile, all equipped with strong Ground moves like Earthquake or High Horsepower.

Avoid using Electric, Flying, or Steel-type moves since Raikou resists those. Also, be cautious of Raikou’s Shadow Ball move, which can threaten Ghost-type counters like Gigantamax Gengar, so switch accordingly if needed. Weather conditions matter: Sunny weather favors Ground-type attackers, while Rain boosts Raikou’s Electric moves, making the battle harder.

For best results, team up with 2 to 4 trainers using level 35+ counters, ideally with Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon to boost survivability and damage output. Dynamax your strongest Ground-type Pokémon during the Max Phase to maximize damage. Using status moves or attack boosts can also help tilt the battle in your favor.

In summary:

Use multiple Excadrills with Mud Shot or other strong Ground-types.
Avoid Raikou’s resisted move types.
Watch out for Shadow Ball and switch out vulnerable Pokémon.
Prefer Sunny weather conditions.
Coordinate with other trainers and Dynamax your counters.

This strategy will significantly increase your odds of defeating Dynamax Raikou efficiently.

How do I effectively use Excadrill to counter Raikou’s Electric moves

To effectively use Excadrill to counter Dynamax Raikou’s Electric moves, follow these strategies:

Lead with tanky Excadrills early: Use one or two level 40 Excadrills without unlocked moves as tanks during the initial battle phase to absorb damage and build energy safely.
Switch to your fully powered Excadrill for Max Phase: When Dynamax Raikou enters its Max Phase, switch to a level 40 Excadrill with Mud Shot and Earthquake. Dynamax Excadrill’s Max Quake move deals massive super-effective Ground-type damage to Raikou’s Electric typing.
Exploit Excadrill’s dual Ground/Steel typing: This typing grants strong resistance to Raikou’s Electric attacks, allowing Excadrill to survive longer and reduce damage taken during the battle.
Charge fast moves before Dynamax phase: Use Mud Shot to quickly build energy for charged moves, so you can unleash powerful Earthquakes or Max Quakes during the critical Max Phase.
Switch out after Max Phase if needed: After Raikou’s Dynamax ends, consider switching back to a tank or healer Pokémon to recharge your Excadrill’s energy and maintain team survivability.
Be mindful of Raikou’s Shadow Ball: Although Excadrill resists Electric moves, Raikou’s Shadow Ball (Ghost-type) can still hit hard. Having a Venusaur or other resistant Pokémon to absorb Shadow Ball can help protect your Excadrill.

By combining Excadrill’s durability, fast energy gain with Mud Shot, and devastating Ground-type Max Moves, you maximize your chances of quickly and efficiently defeating Dynamax Raikou’s Electric onslaught.