Zacian, the legendary Fairy-type Pokémon from the Galar region, has returned to Pokémon GO raids, challenging trainers to master its weaknesses and unleash the perfect moveset. With a glaring vulnerability to Steel and Poison attacks, knowing the best counters and strategies can turn the tide in this epic battle. Whether you’re facing Zacian’s Hero of Many Battles form or preparing for its Crowned Sword debut, this guide reveals how to exploit its frailties and dominate the raid.
Like fellow Sword and Shield legendary Zamazenta, Zacian notably has two different forms. Its plain “Hero of Many Battles” version is only fairy-type, whereas it gains a steel-typing with its “Crowned Sword” form. The Crowned Sword version of Zacian is not available in Pokémon Go yet, so this guide will only provide information on its “Hero of Many Battles” form until it gets added to the game.
This Pokémon Go guide explains Zacian’s weakness and the best counters as it returns as part of the Max Out Finale event, which runs from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1, 2024.
Zacian weakness
Zacian, in its “Hero of Many Battles” form, is a pure Fairy-type Pokémon in Pokémon GO, which makes it weak to Poison- and Steel-type moves. These types deal super-effective damage, so focusing on Poison and Steel attackers is the best strategy to counter Zacian effectively. Conversely, Zacian resists Bug, Dark, Dragon, and Fighting-type moves, making those less effective choices in battle. Trainers often use strong Steel-type Pokémon like Dusk Mane Necrozma, Metagross, and Excadrill, or Poison-types such as Roserade and Nihilego to exploit Zacian’s weaknesses and maximize damage during raids.
In its “Hero of Many Battles” form, Zacian is a pure Fairy-type Pokémon, which means it’s weak against poison and steel-type moves. Focus on these when building a team.
On the flip side, Zacian isresistant to bug, dark, dragon, and fighting-type moves. It takes reduced damage from these types, so you’ll want to avoid using them in battle.
Zacian best counters
The best counters for Zacian in Pokémon GO primarily include strong Steel and Poison-type Pokémon, as Zacian is weak to these types due to its pure Fairy typing in the Hero of Many Battles form. Top Steel-type counters are Zamazenta – Crowned Shield, Necrozma – Dusk Mane, Shadow Metagross, and Dialga, while effective Poison-type counters include Mega Beedrill, Roserade, and Nihilego. For the Crowned Sword form, which is Fairy/Steel type, counters shift slightly to include powerful Fire, Ground, and Ghost types such as Primal Groudon, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Gengar. Utilizing these counters with optimal movesets like Metal Claw and Sludge Bomb can significantly reduce the time to defeat Zacian in raids.
Here are some of the best counters you can use against Zacian in Pokémon Go:
- Dusk Forme Necrozma with Metal Claw and Sunsteel Strike
- Dialga with Metal Claw and Iron Head
- Nihilego with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
- Genesect with Metal Claw and Magnet Bomb
- Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash
- Excadrill with Metal Claw and Iron Head
- Roserade with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
- Lucario with Bullet Punch and Flash Cannon
If you have enough Mega Energy, you can also use Mega Gengar with Lick or Shadow Ball paired with Sludge Bomb. Mega Beedrill with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb will also do quite a bit of damage, as will Mega Aggron with Iron Tail and Heavy Slam.
Ideally for the most damage, you’ll also want the weather to be snowy or cloudy, since this will give you weather boost for steel-type moves and fairy-type moves respectively.
Zacian best moveset
Zacian’s best moveset in Pokémon GO depends on its form, but for the commonly available Hero of Many Battles form, the optimal combination is the Fast Move Snarl paired with the Charged Move Play Rough. This moveset offers the highest total damage per second (DPS) and is effective both in raids and PvP battles, leveraging Play Rough’s Fairy-type STAB bonus to maximize damage output. Alternatively, Metal Claw as a Fast Move combined with Play Rough is also popular, especially for PvE scenarios, providing strong Fairy and Steel-type coverage. For the Crowned Sword form, which boasts higher stats, the best moveset is Metal Claw and Giga Impact, though this form is not yet available in Pokémon GO. Overall, Zacian excels with movesets that emphasize Fairy-type charged moves like Play Rough, complemented by fast moves that generate energy efficiently.
For raids and gyms, Zacian’s best moveset is Snarl and Play Rough. Although this legendary Pokémon sadly lacks a fairy-type fast move, it can still be a very effective fairy-type attacker. Thanks to Snarl, it can generate energy fast enough to unleash the powerful Play Rough fairly frequently.
Zacian also holds a place in the Master League meta, where it can take out a range of strong opponents including Zekrom, Dragonite, and even Complete Forme Zygarde. You’ll want to run Snarl with Close Combat and Play Rough to provide wide coverage. It will also need to be powered up as high as possible with XL Candy.
Is Zacian shiny in Pokémon Go?
Yes, Zacian is shiny in Pokémon Go. Its shiny form was introduced during the Legendary Heroes event in 2024. The shiny Zacian features subtle color changes, with its body fur appearing lighter and the usual pink details shifting to steel blue. Players can encounter shiny Zacian in 5-star Raid Battles, with an approximate shiny rate of 1 in 20. Although a bug initially caused shiny Zacian to appear with its regular colors, this issue has been fixed. To increase your chances of catching a shiny Zacian, participate in multiple raids during its availability periods.
Shiny Zacian is available to encounter in Pokémon Go. This rare variant made its long-awaited debut during the Legendary Heroes event in September 2024.
How can I exploit Zacian’s steel and poison weaknesses effectively in raids
To exploit Zacian’s Steel and Poison weaknesses effectively in Pokémon GO raids, focus on assembling a team composed primarily of Pokémon that use Steel- and Poison-type moves, as these deal super-effective damage against Zacian’s pure Fairy typing. Key strategies include:
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Choose Pokémon with Fast and Charged Attacks of Steel or Poison type to maximize damage output during the raid.
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Top Steel-type counters include Dusk Mane Necrozma (Metal Claw, Sunsteel Strike), Shadow Metagross (Bullet Punch, Meteor Mash), Mega Aggron (Iron Tail, Heavy Slam), and Shadow Excadrill (Metal Claw, Iron Head).
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Effective Poison-type counters feature Mega Gengar (Lick, Sludge Bomb), Mega Beedrill (Poison Jab, Sludge Bomb), Nihilego, and Naganadel with Poison moves.
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Utilize Mega Pokémon like Mega Gengar for their ability to tank damage and quickly charge powerful moves, but keep in mind only one Mega or Primal Pokémon can be active per raid.
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Coordinate with at least four other experienced raiders to ensure enough collective damage and faster defeat of Zacian before the timer runs out.
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Power up your counters with Stardust, Elite TMs, and Candy beforehand to optimize their movesets and stats for the battle.
Weather conditions such as cloudy weather can boost Fairy-type moves, but for countering Zacian, focus primarily on Steel and Poison moves to exploit its weaknesses efficiently. This approach will help you maximize damage and increase your chances of a successful raid victory.
What are the most effective Steel and Poison moves to use against Zacian in raids
The most effective Steel and Poison moves to use against Zacian in Pokémon GO raids are:
Steel-type moves:
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Metal Claw (fast move) and Sunsteel Strike (charged move), especially on Dusk Mane Necrozma
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Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash on Shadow Metagross
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Iron Tail and Heavy Slam on Mega Aggron
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Metal Claw and Iron Head on Shadow Excadrill
Poison-type moves:
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Lick (fast move) and Sludge Bomb (charged move) on Mega Gengar, Mega Beedrill, Nihilego, and Naganadel
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Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb on Mega Beedrill and Nihilego
These movesets maximize super-effective damage against Zacian’s Fairy typing, exploiting its Steel and Poison weaknesses effectively during raids.
