Ready to face the enigmatic Prism Pokémon? Necrozma, the Psychic-type raid boss making waves in Pokémon Go, demands sharp strategy and the right counters to conquer its formidable power. Discover the ultimate weaknesses and top counters like Mega Tyranitar and Dawn Wings Necrozma to shine a light on this challenging 5-star raid and claim your prize before its shadow fades.
Note that when you defeat Dusk Mane and Dawn Wing Necrozma in raids, you will have an opportunity to catch Necrozma, but not as its special forms. You will get Solar and Lunar Fusion Energy, which is the resource needed to get these forms of Necrozma by taking down those raids.
Below we explain the best counters against Necrozma raids in Pokémon Go.
Necrozma weakness
Necrozma, a pure Psychic-type Pokémon in Pokémon GO, is notably weak to Bug-, Dark-, and Ghost-type moves, making these types the best choices for countering it in raids. Utilizing Pokémon with strong moves from these types, such as Volcarona with Bug Bite and Bug Buzz or Mega Tyranitar with Dark-type attacks, can significantly increase your chances of defeating Necrozma quickly. Additionally, Dawn Wings Necrozma, a Psychic/Ghost type, has a double weakness to Dark and Ghost moves, further emphasizing the effectiveness of these types in raids. Dodging powerful charged moves like Future Sight and Dark Pulse can also improve your team’s survivability during the battle.
Necrozma changes typing while in its different forms:
- In its basic, unfused Necrozma form, it’s psychic-type.
- When merged with Solgaleo to become Dusk Mane Necrozma, it’s psychic- and steel-type.
- When combined with Lunala to become Dawn Wings Necrozma, it’s psychic- and ghost-type.
Overall, all Necrozma forms are weak against ghost- and dark-type moves, which means in theory, you can have the same counters against all three. Here’s our suggestions for the best general counters for any Necrozma, and then more specific suggestions for each respective form.
Best Necrozma counters for all forms
All forms of Necrozma in Pokémon GO share common weaknesses to Bug-, Dark-, and Ghost-type moves, making these types the most effective for counters in raids. Top counters include Mega Tyranitar, Dawn Wings Necrozma, Shadow Tyranitar, Mega Absol, Mega Houndoom, and Mega Gengar, which leverage these weaknesses to deal significant damage. For Dusk Mane Necrozma specifically, additional strong counters include Primal Groudon, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Blaziken, which exploit its unique vulnerabilities. Generally, a group of 2 to 6 trainers using these counters is recommended to efficiently defeat Necrozma in 5-star raids.
Here’s a list of very powerful attackers with ghost- and dark-type moves. As usual with our counters, we list a mix of the best-of-the-best as well as some easier-to-obtain Pokémon. Even if you don’t have the listed Pokémon, your Pokémon should do just find as long as it has a recommended move type and is powered up.
- Lunala with Confusion and Shadow Ball (ghost)
- Origin Forme Giratina with Shadow Claw and Shadow Force or Shadow Ball (ghost)
- Blacephalon with Astonish and Shadow Ball (ghost)
- Chandelure with Hex and Shadow Ball (ghost)
- Tyranitar with Bite and Brutal Swing (dark)
- Hydreigon with Bite and Brutal Swing or Dark Pulse (dark)
- Darkrai with Snarl and Dark Pulse (dark)
- Yveltal with Snarl and Dark Pulse (dark)
- Incineroar with Snarl and Darkest Lariat (dark)
Mega Pokémon like Mega Gengar, Mega Banette, Mega Tyranitar, and Mega Houndoom will also help you deal out huge amounts of damage, if you have the energy to use them. Using Shadow forms of the listed Pokémon (if they’re available) will also deal tons of damage, but we know that not everyone has the candy or lucky Team Go Rocket spawns to use them.
Standard Necrozma counters
The standard counters for Necrozma in Pokémon GO raids focus on exploiting its weaknesses to Bug-, Dark-, and Ghost-type moves. Top recommended counters include Mega Tyranitar, Mega Absol, Shadow Tyranitar, Necrozma – Dawn Wings, and Mega Houndoom, all of which carry strong moves like Snarl, Shadow Claw, and Dark Pulse that deal significant damage to Necrozma’s Psychic typing. Using these Pokémon with their effective fast and charged moves can help trainers efficiently defeat Necrozma in 5-star raids, especially when coordinated with a team of other trainers.
Regular Necrozma is weak against bug-, ghost-, and dark-type moves. We recommend using any of the following:
- Volcarona with Bug Bite and Bug Buzz (bug)
- Mega Beedrill with Bug Bite and X-Scissor (bug)
- Pheromosa with Bug Bite and Bug Buzz (bug)
- Vikavolt with Bug Bite and X-Scissor (bug)
You can also use Megas like Mega Heracross, Mega Pinsir, and Mega Scizor for some massive damage, if you have them.
Dusk Mane Necrozma counters
The best counters for Dusk Mane Necrozma in Pokémon GO raids leverage its weaknesses to Fire, Ground, Ghost, and Dark-type moves. Top recommended Pokémon include Primal Groudon with Mud Shot and Precipice Blades, Mega Charizard Y, Shadow Heatran, Mega Blaziken, Mega Tyranitar, Mega Garchomp, and Dawn Wings Necrozma. These counters maximize damage output and increase the chances of a successful raid, especially when used in groups of at least three trainers, with an optimal size of four to seven. Using these counters effectively exploits Dusk Mane Necrozma’s vulnerabilities, making the raid more manageable and efficient to complete.
Dusk Mane Necrozma is weak against ground-, ghost-, fire-, and dark-type moves. Use any of the following:
- Groudon with Mud Shot and Precipice Blades or Earthquake (ground)
- Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earth Power or Earthquake (ground)
- Excadrill with Mud-Slap and Scorching Sands (ground)
- Mamoswine with Mud-Slap and High Horsepower (ground)
- Reshiram with Fire Fang and Fusion Flare or Overheat (fire)
- Blacephalon with Incinerate and Mystical Fire (fire)
- Volcarona with Fire Spin and Overheat (fire)
- Darmanitan with Fire Fang and Overheat (fire)
Megas like Mega Garchomp, Primal Groudon, Mega Blaziken, or Mega Charizard Y will also help you dish out tons of damage, if you have the energy for them.
Dawn Wings Necrozma counters
Dawn Wings Necrozma in Pokémon GO is highly vulnerable to Dark and Ghost-type attacks, both of which are double weaknesses, making these types the best choice for counters in raids. Top counters include Mega Tyranitar, Shadow Tyranitar, Mega Absol, Mega Houndoom, Mega Gyarados, and Darkrai, all equipped with powerful Dark or Ghost moves to exploit these weaknesses effectively. Even common evolutions like Incineroar and Hydreigon can serve as strong counters, providing accessible options for many trainers. A team focusing on these types will significantly increase the chances of defeating Dawn Wings Necrozma efficiently in raid battles.
Dawn Wings Necrozma is very weak against ghost- and dark-type moves, but it has no additional weaknesses unlike its other forms. Using Pokémon from our initial counters list should get the job done.
Looking for more to do during Go Fest 2024? You can follow the habitat schedule, get Solar and Lunar Fusion Energy, and complete Marshadow research “A Shadowy Caper”.
Do Mega Tyranitar and Shadow Tyranitar really outshine other counters in raids
Mega Tyranitar and Shadow Tyranitar are indeed among the top-tier counters in Pokémon Go raids, but they excel in different ways and contexts. Mega Tyranitar is widely regarded as the best Rock-type Mega for group raids due to its superior bulk and the 30% Mega Boost it provides, making it a consistent and powerful contributor, especially against Psychic-type raid bosses. It outperforms all other Dark-type Megas in damage contribution and bulk, making it highly reliable compared to more fragile options like Mega Gengar.
Shadow Tyranitar, on the other hand, is considered very future-proof as a Dark-type attacker and currently redefines Dark/Ghost attackers with DPS comparable to or slightly better than Mega Tyranitar in theory. However, Mega Tyranitar’s much higher bulk usually gives it the edge in practice, especially in terms of survivability and overall raid contribution. Shadow Tyranitar is expected to be eventually outclassed by other Shadow Rock-types like Shadow Rhyperior but remains a strong choice for now.
In summary, Mega Tyranitar generally outshines Shadow Tyranitar in group raid performance due to its bulk and consistent damage output, while Shadow Tyranitar is a very strong solo or niche option with high DPS but less durability.
Do Mega Tyranitar and Shadow Tyranitar outperform other counters in all raid scenarios
Mega Tyranitar and Shadow Tyranitar do not outperform other counters in all raid scenarios, but they excel in many key situations with some important distinctions.
Mega Tyranitar is generally the best Rock-type Mega for group raids due to its superior bulk, which allows it to maintain the 30% Mega Boost longer, contributing the most damage in group settings, especially against Psychic-type raid bosses. It outclasses all other Dark-type Megas in both power and group boosting, making it a consistent and reliable choice in many raid scenarios. However, Mega Gengar can outperform Mega Tyranitar in DPS and time-to-win (TTW) in some cases, particularly when the raid boss is Ghost-type, but Mega Gengar is much more fragile and less consistent overall.
Shadow Tyranitar redefines the Dark/Ghost attacker meta among non-Mega Pokémon, being miles ahead of other non-Mega Dark types and very future-proof. It offers DPS comparable to or slightly better than Mega Tyranitar in theory, but Mega Tyranitar’s much higher bulk usually gives it the edge in practice. Shadow Tyranitar is especially useful against Psychic and Ghost raid bosses and remains a top-tier Shadow attacker until future Shadow Rock-types like Shadow Rhyperior eventually surpass it.
Limitations and Context:
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Mega Tyranitar is best when the raid boss is Psychic-type or when the group mostly uses Dark-type counters. If the raid boss is Ghost-type, Ghost-type Megas like Mega Gengar or Banette may outperform it.
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Shadow Tyranitar excels as a Dark/Ghost attacker but will eventually be outclassed by stronger Shadow Rock-types in Rock-type raid scenarios.
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Neither Mega Tyranitar nor Shadow Tyranitar is universally superior; their effectiveness depends on raid boss typing, raid group composition, and whether the raid is solo or group.
In summary, Mega Tyranitar and Shadow Tyranitar are among the best counters in many raid scenarios but do not outperform all other counters in every situation. Their strengths lie in their bulk, type coverage, and versatility, but other specialized counters can be better depending on the raid context.
