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Zapdos Raid Guide For Pokémon GO Players: November 2021

The Legendary Birds of Kanto will be back for a special Raid Hour tomorrow as part of the Mischief Unbound event in Pokémon GO. From 6 PM – 7 PM, raids will be taken over by Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, all of which can be encountered in their Shiny forms. With this Raid Guide, you can prepare a team to take on the Legendary Zapdos, perfect your catching strategy, and understand its 100% IVs.

Zapdos in Pokémon GO. Credit: Niantic
Zapdos in Pokémon GO. Credit: Niantic

Top Zapdos Counters

Pokebattler, which calculates all possible combinations of Pokémon and moves, lists the top 10 Zapdos counters as such:

  • Shadow Mamoswine (Powder Snow, Avalanche)
  • Shadow Tyranitar (Smack Down, Stone Edge)
  • Rhyperior (Smack Down, Rock Wrecker)
  • Shadow Mewtwo (Psycho Cut, Ice Beam)
  • Rampardos (Smack Down, Rock Slide)
  • Mamoswine (Powder Snow, Avalanche)
  • Shadow Weavile (Ice Shard, Avalanche)
  • Terrakion (Smack Down, Rock Slide)
  • Galarian Darmanitan (Ice Fang, Avalanche)
  • Mega Abomasnow (Powder Snow, Weather Ball)

It is recommended to power up your counters as much as possible, but creating that amount of strong Shadow Pokémon with their moves unlocked is a tall order for even the most practiced players. Here are ten additional non-Shadow and non-Mega counters that can help take down Zapdos with efficiency.

  • Tyranitar (Smack Down, Stone Edge)
  • Glaceon (Frost Breath, Avalanche)
  • Weavile (Ice Shard, Avalanche)
  • Mewtwo (Psycho Cut, Ice Beam)
  • Incarnate Forme Landorus (Rock Throw, Rock Slide)
  • Golem (Rock Throw, Stone Edge)
  • Gigalith (Smack Down, Rock Slide)
  • Alolan Golem (Rock Throw, Stone Edge)
  • Regigigas (Rock-type Hidden Power, Giga Impact)
  • Jynx (Frost Breath, Avalanche)

How Many Trainers Are Needed?

Zapdos can be defeated with three trainers, but if you cannot guarantee the top counters with maxed out CP and the best moves, your best bet is to make sure you have four or more players.

Using the Circle Lock Technique to guarantee Great or Excellent throws, along with Golden Razz Berries, is the best way to catch Zapdos.

Shiny Odds & 100% IVs

The Shiny rate for Legendary Pokémon is approximately one in twenty.

When looking for a Pokémon with the best stats, the 100% IV Zapdos will have a CP of 2015 in normal weather conditions and 2519 in boosted conditions. We hope this Raid Guide helps you catch the second of the Legendary birds.

Happy raiding, fellow trainers!


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Theo DwyerAbout Theo Dwyer

Theo Dwyer writes about comics, film, and games.
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