Pokémon Go: Zapdos – the 15 best counters in the guide!

Update July 5, 2022: To the 6th Anniversary in Pokemon Go Zapdos will once again be available in Tier 5 Raids! And if you’re lucky enough, you can also grab the legendary bird as a shiny – although the visual difference is virtually zero. Nevertheless: Pack your best counterattacks and let’s go! You want to know which fighters are the best opponents for the Electro Bird? Then check out our updated list of the best Zapdos counters in Pokémon Go below!

• Crypto Mamutel with powder snow and avalanche
• Crypto despot with catapult and stone edge
• rhyperior with catapult and rock launcher
• Crypto Mewtwo with confusion and ice beam
• Mega Aerodactyl with stone throwing and stone hail
• Rameidon with catapult and stone hail
• mamuttel with powder snow and avalanche
• terracotta with catapult and stone hail
• Crypto Snibunna with Ice Shards and Avalanche
• Galar-Flampivian with ice tooth and avalanche
• Mega Rexblisar with powder snow and meteorologist
• despotary with catapult and stone edge
• glaciola with ice breath and avalanche
• Crypto Aerodactyl with stone throwing and stone hail
• Crypto Keifel with Ice Shards and Avalanche

A Zapdos has the perfect 100% IV when it has 2015 CP at level 20. On the other hand, at level 25 (on the rain and wind weather boosts), the CP value for the perfect 100% IV is 2,519. By the way, with luck you can also catch Zapdos as Shiny – although the color difference is not particularly noticeable.

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Original report from September 15, 2018: After Zapdos Day on July 21st, the legendary bird is once again making Pokémon GO’s raids unsafe. As part of the Ultra Bonus Event, the Electric Flying-type Pokémon will appear as a Tier 5 boss from September 13 to September 20 at 10:00 p.m. CEST, alternating with its legendary fellow fowl, Articuno and Lavados. With a bit of luck, all three birds can also be found in their Shiny variant and once again have their exclusive attacks Thunder Shock (Zapdos), Hurricane (Arktos) and Sky Sweep (Lavados) in their luggage, which you already got from the reward days of the three global challenges knows.

Pokémon GO: The best counter Pokémon and attacks for all raid bosses

Zapdos in Pokemon Go

Source: Niantic




Raid boss Zapdos meets you with a proud 42,961 CP. With friend bonuses, the right weather and a despotar with the attack catapult from Community Day in their luggage, ambitious trainers can according to the Pokemon GO Hub Dare to tackle the legendary bird in pairs, everyone else plunges into the raid battle in at least four groups. Zapdos is a type Pokemon Flight and electricso you only direct effective damage Ice- and rock attacks on. On the other hand, the yellow fowl only suffers reduced damage from ground, bug, plant, flying, fighting or steel-type pocket monsters, so their use is not recommended.

The three best counter-type Pokémon in the fight against Zapdos:

• Tyranitar with catapult and stone edge
• Rayquaza with dragon rod and tantrum
• Geowaz with stone throw and stone edge

Good counter Pokemon when fighting Zapdos:

• Mewtwo with Psycho Blade and Spook Ball
• Rossana with Ice Breath and Avalanche
• Kyogre with Cascade and Blizzard
• Dragonite with dragon tail and tantrum
• Brutalanda with Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor
• Keifel with ice fragments and avalanche

Useful Counter-Pokémon in Large Raid Groups:

• Raikou with Thunder Shock and Electric Shock
• Amoroso with stone throw and stone hail
• Arktos with Ice Breath and Ice Beam
• Latios with Fire Breath and Dragon Claw
• Regice with Ice Breath and Blizzard
• Lunastein/Sonnenfel with Stone Toss and Stone Hail

This is what awaits you in the fight against Zapdos

As on Zapdos Day, Niantic is again equipping the yellow fowl with the exclusive attack for the ultra bonus event thunder shock out, which gives your future companion a noticeable damage boost. In addition, the legendary bird has four other electric attacks in its quiver:

• charging beam,
• flashgun,
• thunder and
• thunderbolt

In the worst case, a Zapdos with thunder shock and lightning cannon awaits you in the raid. You have a relatively easy game against the combination of charging beam and thunder. But even then, Zapdos still packs a punch thanks to the following base values:

• 253 attack
• 188 defense
• 180 stamina

The weather forecast

A tough fight awaits you should it pour during the raid, as rain boosts Zapdos’ Electric attacks. For this lift both “Rain” as well as “Windy” Zapdos’ level from 20 to 25. This makes the raid fight much more difficult, but it also gives you a stronger Pokémon if you defeat and catch the legendary bird. For comparison:

• At level 20 and without weather boost, the captured raid boss has 1820 to 1902 WP,
• with weather boost and level 25 over 2,275 to 2,378 WP.