Hoopa Unbound, the fearsome Psychic and Dark-type Mythical Pokémon, is making waves in Pokémon Go raids with its staggering attack power and unique dual weaknesses. Despite its intimidating stats, this raid boss crumbles under the relentless assault of Bug and Fairy-type moves, making it a thrilling challenge for trainers armed with the right counters. Whether you’re gearing up with Mega Pinsir’s Fury Cutter or Mega Heracross’s Megahorn, mastering Hoopa Unbound’s best moveset and exploiting its vulnerabilities is key to victory in this high-stakes raid event.
Previously, the only way to obtain Hoopa in Pokémon Go was through a “Misunderstood Mischief” seasonal Special Research. If you completed this research before a specific date or paid $5, you could access an additional, limited-time Special Research called “Mischief Unbound” that would allow you to change your Hoopa’s form to its Unbound form.
However, now all players can nab their own Hoopa Unbound (a pretty dang good psychic-type attacker), thanks to it being available in raids. Players can also swap their Hoopa’s form, even if they didn’t complete the aforementioned research and transfer their Hoopa Unbound to Pokémon Home – which wasn’t doable before.
Below we explain how to take down Hoopa Unbound in Pokémon Go raids, listing its weakness, top counters, and its best moveset to give it once you nab one.
Hoopa Unbound weaknesses
Hoopa Unbound has notable weaknesses to Bug-type and Fairy-type moves, with a double weakness to Bug attacks due to its dual Psychic and Dark typing. This makes Bug-type moves especially effective against it, despite Bug being generally considered a weaker type in the game. Fairy-type moves also deal increased damage but are less effective compared to Bug moves. Trainers are advised to use strong Bug-type Pokémon with powerful Bug moves like Fury Cutter and X-Scissor to exploit these weaknesses and defeat Hoopa Unbound efficiently in raids.
Hoopa in its Unbound form is psychic- and dark-type (as opposed to its psychic- and ghost-type when its in its Confined form). That being said, Hoopa Unbound has a big glaring double bug-type weakness and a regular fairy-type weakness to take advantage of.
You pretty much should be using bug-type Pokémon with bug-type moves – which you very likely have based on past Community Days.
Hoopa Unbound will resist psychic-type moves, so do not bring those to the party.
Hoopa Unbound counters
Hoopa Unbound, a Psychic/Dark-type Pokémon in Pokémon Go, is notably vulnerable to Bug and Fairy-type moves. The best counters to defeat it include Mega Pinsir, Mega Heracross, Mega Scizor, Shadow Scizor, Shadow Pinsir, Mega Beedrill, Pheromosa, Vikavolt, Genesect, Volcarona, and Escavalier. Utilizing Bug-type Pokémon with powerful Bug moves like Fury Cutter, X-Scissor, Bug Bite, and Megahorn is highly effective. These counters exploit Hoopa Unbound’s 2.56× weakness to Bug moves and 1.6× weakness to Fairy moves, making them your top choices for raids against this formidable foe.
Here are some of the strongest counters to take down Hoopa Unbound in Pokémon Go:
- Mega Pinsir with Fury Cutter and X-Scissor
- Mega Heracross with Struggle Bug and Megahorn
- Mega Scizor with Fury Cutter and X-Scissor
- Mega Beedrill with Bug Bite and X-Scissor
- Genesect with Fury Cutter and X-Scissor
- Vikavolt with Bug Bite and X-Scissor
- Escavalier with Bug Bite and Mega Horn
- Volcarona with Bug Bite and Bug Buzz
- Yanmega with Bug Bite and Bug Buzz
- Golisopod with Fury Cutter and X-Scissor
- Pheromosa with Bug Bite and Bug Buzz
If you don’t have the Megas above, but you do have the base Pokémon powered up, you can bring them along to help, too.
If you’re thinking, “Man, I do not power-up bug-types. I don’t think I can handle this!” Go check your Pokémon list for Vikavolt and Escavalier – these both had Community Day events, so it’s possible that you’re sitting on some decent ones already.
If you have a team of powered-up bug Pokémon, you won’t need too many other trainers to help you take down Hoopa Unbound, but as usual with raids, you should try to find a small group to do so with the greatest of ease.
If you’re lucky enough to raid in rainy weather (well, this is actually pretty unlucky if we’re being honest), then your bug-type moves will also get a damage boost.
Best moveset for Hoopa Unbound
Hoopa Unbound’s best moveset in Pokémon Go is Confusion as the fast move paired with Psychic as the charged move. This combination delivers the highest total damage per second (DPS) and makes Hoopa Unbound one of the top Psychic-type attackers in the game, second only to Mewtwo when excluding Mega Evolutions and shadow forms. Confusion and Psychic also benefit from the Same Type Attack Bonus, enhancing their effectiveness. While Hoopa Unbound can also use moves like Astonish and Shadow Ball, Confusion and Psychic remain the optimal choice for both PvE and PvP battles due to their superior damage output.
Hoopa Unbound’s best moveset is Confusion with Psychic. This actually makes it the second-best psychic-type Pokémon in the game (if you’re not counting Mega Evolutions and shadow Pokémon), only coming second to Mewtwo.
Including Megas and shadows, it does fall below more obvious picks like Mega Alakazam and Shadow Mewtwo, but it certainly holds its weight pretty dang well.
Is Hoopa Unbound shiny in Pokémon Go?
As of now, Hoopa Unbound is not available in its shiny form in Pokémon Go. Neither Hoopa Unbound nor its Confined form have been released as shiny variants in the game. Being a Mythical Pokémon, shiny versions of Hoopa typically take a long time to be introduced, so trainers will have to wait for future updates from Niantic for any chance to catch a shiny Hoopa Unbound. For the time being, players can obtain Hoopa Unbound through raids or by transforming Hoopa Confined, but without the shiny option.
How can I exploit Hoopa Unbound’s double weakness to bug and fairy types
To exploit Hoopa Unbound’s double weakness to Bug and Fairy types in Pokémon Go, focus primarily on assembling a team of Bug-type Pokémon with strong Bug-type moves, as Bug is the optimal choice due to the 4x damage advantage. Fairy types can also be used effectively but generally perform as a secondary option compared to Bug types. Use Pokémon like Mega Pinsir, Mega Heracross, Mega Scizor, Mega Beedrill, Genesect, Vikavolt, Escavalier, Volcarona, Yanmega, Golisopod, and Pheromosa, all equipped with powerful Bug moves such as Fury Cutter, X-Scissor, Bug Bite, and Megahorn to maximize damage output. Bringing these counters in a group of 5-8 players is recommended to ensure a successful raid against Hoopa Unbound. Additionally, avoid Psychic-type moves since Hoopa Unbound resists them, and take advantage of weather boosts like Rainy weather to increase Bug-type move damage further.
How do I maximize bug and fairy moves to exploit Hoopa Unbound’s weaknesses
To maximize Bug and Fairy moves against Hoopa Unbound in Pokémon Go, focus on building a team primarily of Bug-type Pokémon with powerful Bug-type moves to exploit its 4x weakness. Prioritize Pokémon like Mega Pinsir, Mega Heracross, Mega Scizor, Mega Beedrill, Genesect, Vikavolt, Escavalier, Volcarona, Yanmega, Golisopod, and Pheromosa, all equipped with fast moves such as Fury Cutter, Bug Bite, or Struggle Bug, and charged moves like X-Scissor, Megahorn, or Bug Buzz to trigger the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) and maximize damage output.
Fairy-type moves are also effective due to Hoopa Unbound’s weakness, but they generally deal half the effectiveness of Bug moves, so use Fairy types as secondary options, especially in cloudy weather when Fairy moves get a boost. Avoid Psychic-type moves as Hoopa Unbound resists them, reducing your damage potential.
Additionally, take advantage of weather conditions: rainy weather boosts Bug-type move damage, enhancing your team’s effectiveness. Use Mega-evolved Bug Pokémon where possible for higher attack stats and faster energy gain, allowing more frequent use of charged moves.
In summary:
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Build a team of Bug-type Pokémon with strong Bug fast and charged moves.
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Use Fairy-type Pokémon as supplementary counters.
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Avoid Psychic moves.
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Raid with a group for efficiency, but a well-powered Bug team can solo or duo the raid.
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Raid during rainy weather for a damage boost.
This strategy ensures you exploit Hoopa Unbound’s double Bug weakness to the fullest and defeat it efficiently in raids.
