Black Kyurem is one of the most challenging Legendary raid bosses in Pokémon GO due to its unique Ice and Dragon dual typing and strong moveset. Unlike some raids where select counters easily dominate, Black Kyurem demands careful team planning and strategic execution. Simply choosing the highest CP Pokémon may not be enough if their movesets and typing don’t synergize against this powerful boss.
Because Black Kyurem is vulnerable to several attacking types — particularly Dragon, Fairy, Ice, and Steel — trainers should build teams that balance offense and survivability. Understanding how weather boosts, move coverage, and raid group size affect the battle will help you decide the best composition for your situation.
This guide breaks down Black Kyurem’s weaknesses, highlights the most effective counters, explains weather impacts, and provides battle strategies so you can defeat it efficiently whether you’re raiding solo or with a full lobby.
Stats & Basic Info
| Type | Dragon / Ice |
| Max CP | 5026 |
| Weather Boost | Windy, Snowy |
| Shiny | Yes |
Weaknesses & resistances
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Weak to |
 Fighting •
 Rock •
 Steel •
 Dragon •
 Fairy
|
| Resists to |
 Water •
 Grass •
 Electric
|
Notes: Black Kyurem has no double weaknesses, but its massive damage output makes it more challenging than most legendary raid bosses. Its Dragon-type attacks can quickly eliminate glass-cannon counters, so team balance is critical.
Best Black Kyurem Counters
⚙ Steel-Type Counters (High Durability)
Steel-types resist Ice-type moves and deal super-effective damage. They last longer in battle and reduce the need to relobby.
- Bullet Punch
- Meteor Mash or Flash Cannon
- Dialga: (Metal Claw)
- Metagross: (Bullet Punch / Meteor Mash)
🥊 Fighting-Type Counters (Safest Option)
Fighting-type Pokémon are among the safest and most consistent choices. They deal strong super-effective damage and are not weak to Dragon moves.
- Fast Move: Counter
- Charged Move: Aura Sphere or Dynamic Punch
- Mega Fighting Pokémon significantly boost group damage
- Terrakion: (Double Kick / Sacred Sword)
🪨 Rock-Type Counters (Strong vs Ice Moves)
Rock-type attackers perform well, especially when Black Kyurem uses Blizzard or other Ice-type charged attacks.
- Smack Down
- Rock Slide or Stone Edge
🐉 Dragon-Type Counters (Maximum DPS)
Dragon attackers provide the highest damage output but are risky because they take super-effective damage from Dragon moves. Use them in coordinated groups for fast clears.
- Dialga: (Draco Meteor)
- Palkia: (Dragon Tail / Draco Meteor)
- Latias: (Dragon Breath)
Battle Strategy & Tactical Insights
Black Kyurem’s Ice and Dragon typing gives it significant weaknesses to Dragon, Fairy, Steel, and Ice moves. Choosing Pokémon that exploit those weaknesses while resisting Black Kyurem’s powerful charged attacks is key. Dragon-type attackers like Dragonite with Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor or Rayquaza with Dragon Tail and Outrage deal huge damage, while Fairy counters such as Gardevoir and Togekiss provide strong resistance and coverage.
Weather plays a major role in this battle. In Snowy or Partly Cloudy weather, Ice-type moves receive a weather boost that greatly increases damage output from Ice counters like Mamoswine or Glaceon. Cloudy weather can also boost Dragon moves, enhancing Dragon counters even further. Trainers should check the weather before starting the raid to optimize their team composition for the current conditions.
Dodging heavy charged attacks like Dragon Breath or Ice Beam can improve your team’s survival, particularly in smaller raid groups. While it’s not necessary to dodge every attack, timing dodges for high-damage charges gives your counters more time to deal damage, which is especially critical when Agro Kyurem unleashes multiple powerful moves in succession.
For best results, lead with your highest DPS counters that exploit Black Kyurem’s biggest weaknesses. If these Pokémon begin fainting early, rotate in secondary attackers with balanced bulk to maintain consistent pressure. In larger raid groups, coordinating roles — such as assigning Dragon and Fairy counters first — helps reduce wasted time and speeds up the clear dramatically.
Using Mega Evolutions that strengthen your primary counter types, such as Mega Gardevoir or Mega Altaria, can also improve overall performance in the raid. Their type synergies and boosts help amplify damage while providing resilient support for the team.
Best Mega Evolutions
Recommended Megas to use against Black Kyurem:
- Lucario, Blaziken, Heracross, Latias, Latios – Fighting boost
- Metagross – Steel boost
- Rayquaza, Latios, Latias, Garchomp – Dragon boost
- Gardevoir – Fairy boost
- Diancie, Tyranitar - Rock boost
Difficulty
Its HP is moderate to high, making it a formidable raid boss for small and medium-sized groups. Proper type coverage, shields, and dodging charged moves are essential, especially for solo or duo raids.
Best Moveset
- Fast: Shadow Claw, Dragon Tail
- Charged: Stone Edge, Blizzard, Iron Head, Outrage, Fusion Bolt, Freeze Shock
Be cautious of Blizzard (heavy Ice damage) and Outrage (Dragon burst).Steel counters handle Blizzard best.
Best Regular Counters
Regular pokemon that amplify the right types give you a powerful edge. Below are top Regular counters with short notes on why they excel.
| Pokémon | Fast Moves | Charged Moves | Elite Moves | Best Moves | Why This Counter Works |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zacian | Metal Claw / Air Slash | Play Rough / Close Combat / Giga Impact / Behemoth Blade | None | Metal Claw and Behemoth Blade | Fairy typing hits Black Kyurem’s Dragon weakness super effectively, while Steel coverage helps resist Ice-type attacks for better survivability. |
| Keldeo(Original) | Low Kick / Poison Jab | Close Combat / Sacred Sword / X-Scissor / Aqua Jet / Hydro Pump | None | Low Kick and Sacred Sword | Fighting-type Sacred Sword deals super-effective damage to Ice typing while resisting none of Kyurem’s main threats, making it a balanced DPS option. |
| Origin Dialga | Dragon Breath / Metal Claw | Iron Head / Thunder / Draco Meteor | Roar of Time | Dragon Breath / Metal Claw and Roar of Time | Steel typing resists Ice and Dragon damage, while Dragon or Steel moves deal consistent super-effective damage. |
| Zamazenta | Metal Claw / Ice Fang | Moon Blast / Close Combat / Giga Impact / Behemoth Bash | None | Metal Claw and Close Combat | Strong Fighting-type damage exploits Ice weakness and provides solid bulk for longer field presence. |
| Dusk Mane Necrozma | Shadow Claw / Metal Claw / Psycho Cut | Dark Pulse / Iron Head / Future Sight / Outrage / Sunsteel Strike | None | Shadow Claw / Metal Claw and Sunsteel Strike | Steel typing resists Ice attacks and Sunsteel Strike provides powerful super-effective Steel damage. |
| Terrakion | Double Kick / Smack Down / Zen Headbutt | Close Combat / Earthquake / Rock Slide | Sacred Sword | Smack Down and Rock Slide | Rock and Fighting coverage both hit Ice typing super effectively, making it one of the safest and strongest counters. |
| Origin Palkia | Dragon Breath / Dragon Tail | Hydro Pump / Fire Blast / Aqua Tail / Draco Meteor | None | Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor | High Dragon-type DPS exploits Kyurem’s Dragon weakness, though it must be careful of Dragon-type retaliation. |
| Eternatus | Poison Jab / Dragon Tail | Flamethrower / Dragon Pulse / Sludge Bomb | Dynamax Cannon | Dragon Tail and Dynamax Cannon | Dragon-type attacks deal strong super-effective damage while maintaining decent overall raid DPS. |
| Metagross | Fury Cutter / Bullet Punch / Zen Headbutt | Earthquake / Flash Cannon / Psychic | Shadow Claw / Meteor Mash | Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash | Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash deal super-effective Steel damage while Steel typing resists Ice moves. |
| Keldeo(Resolute) | Low Kick / Poison Jab | Close Combat / Sacred Sword / X-Scissor / Aqua Jet / Hydro Pump | None | Low Kick and Sacred Sword | Same Fighting-type advantage as its Original form, dealing strong Ice-type super-effective damage. |
| Primal Groudon | Mud Shot / Dragon Tail | Earthquake / Fire Blast / Solar Beam | Precipice Blades / Fire Punch | Dragon Tail and Precipice Blades | High base stats and Dragon Tail provide neutral but strong DPS, though it lacks direct type advantage. |
| Lucario | Counter / Bullet Punch | Close Combat / Power-Up Punch / Aura Sphere / Shadow Ball / Flash Cannon / Meteor Mash / Blaze Kick / Thunder Punch | Force Palm | Counter and Close Combat | Counter and Close Combat deal strong super-effective damage to Ice typing while Steel sub-typing resists Ice attacks. |
| Dialga | Metal Claw / Dragon Breath | Iron Head / Thunder / Draco Meteor | None | Metal Claw / Dragon Breath and Draco Meteor | Excellent defensive typing resists Dragon and Ice while delivering consistent Dragon or Steel damage. |
Best Shadow Counters
Shadow pokemon that amplify the right types give you a powerful edge. Below are top Shadow counters with short notes on why they excel.
| Pokémon | Fast Moves | Charged Moves | Elite Moves | Best Moves | Why This Counter Works |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Metagross | Fury Cutter / Bullet Punch / Zen Headbutt | Earthquake / Flash Cannon / Psychic | Shadow Claw / Meteor Mash | Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash | Shadow boost increases Steel-type Meteor Mash damage while resisting Ice attacks. |
| Shadow Palkia | Dragon Breath / Dragon Tail | Fire Blast / Hydro Pump / Aqua Tail / Draco Meteor | None | Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor | Shadow bonus amplifies Dragon-type DPS, making it one of the highest damage Dragon attackers. |
| Shadow Garchomp | Mud Shot / Dragon Tail | Earthquake / Sand Tomb / Fire Blast / Outrage / Breaking Swipe | Earth Power | Dragon Tail and Outrage | Shadow boost significantly increases Dragon-type damage output against Kyurem’s Dragon typing. |
| Shadow Blaziken | Counter / Fire Spin / Ember | Focus Blast / Aura Sphere / Brave Bird / Overheat / Blaze Kick | Stone Edge / Blast Burn | Counter / Fire Spin and Overheat | Shadow Fighting-type damage hits Ice weakness hard while delivering extremely high DPS. |
| Shadow Dialga | Metal Claw / Dragon Breath | Iron Head / Thunder / Draco Meteor | None | Metal Claw / Dragon Breath and Draco Meteor | Shadow bonus combined with Steel and Dragon typing provides both strong damage and partial resistances. |
Best Mega Counters
Mega pokemon that amplify the right types give you a powerful edge. Below are top Mega counters with short notes on why they excel.
| Pokémon | Fast Moves | Charged Moves | Elite Moves | Best Moves | Why This Counter Works |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Lucario | Counter / Bullet Punch | Close Combat / Power-Up Punch / Aura Sphere / Shadow Ball / Flash Cannon / Meteor Mash / Blaze Kick / Thunder Punch | Force Palm | Counter and Close Combat | Mega boost increases Fighting damage for the entire team while dealing super-effective Ice damage. |
| Mega Diancie | Tackle / Rock Throw | Rock Slide / Power Gem / Moonblast | None | Rock Throw and Moonblast | Rock-type damage hits Ice weakness and Mega boost strengthens Rock attackers in the raid. |
| Mega Rayquaza | Air Slash / Dragon Tail | Aerial Ace / Dragon Ascent / Ancient Power / Outrage | Hurricane / Breaking Swipe | Dragon Tail and Outrage | Extremely high Dragon-type DPS and Mega boost significantly increase team-wide Dragon damage. |
| Mega Latias | Zen Headbutt / Dragon Breath / Charm | Aura Sphere / Thunder / Psychic / Outrage | Mist Ball | Dragon Breath and Outrage | Provides Dragon-type team boost while delivering stable Dragon damage with improved bulk. |
| Mega Latios | Zen Headbutt / Dragon Breath | Aura Sphere / Solar Beam / Psychic / Dragon Claw | Luster Purge | Dragon Breath and Dragon Claw | High offensive Dragon stats plus Mega boost amplify overall Dragon-type raid damage. |
| Mega Blaziken | Counter / Fire Spin / Ember | Focus Blast / Aura Sphere / Brave Bird / Overheat / Blaze Kick | Stone Edge / Blast Burn | Counter / Fire Spin and Overheat | Mega Fighting boost enhances team damage while dealing strong super-effective Ice damage. |
| Mega Gardevoir | Magical Leaf / Charge Beam / Confusion / Charm | Shadow Ball / Psychic / Triple Axel / Dazzling Gleam | Synchronoise | Charm and Dazzling Gleam | Fairy typing hits Dragon weakness and Mega boost increases Fairy-type damage for all teammates. |
| Mega Garchomp | Mud Shot / Dragon Tail | Earthquake / Sand Tomb / Fire Blast / Outrage / Breaking Swipe | Earth Power | Dragon Tail and Outrage | Dragon-type DPS combined with Mega boost significantly increases team Dragon damage output. |
| Mega Tyranitar | Iron Tail / Dragon Breath / Bite | Stone Edge / Fire Blast / Crunch / Brutal Swing | Smack Down | Smack Down and Stone Edge | Rock-type moves exploit Ice weakness and Mega boost strengthens Rock-type attackers. |
| Mega Heracross | Counter / Struggle Bug | Close Combat / Upper Hand / Earthquake / Rock Blast / Megahorn | None | Counter and Close Combat | Strong Fighting-type DPS with Mega boost increases overall Ice-type super-effective damage. |
| Mega Metagross | Fury Cutter / Bullet Punch / Zen Headbutt | Earthquake / Flash Cannon / Psychic | Shadow Claw / Meteor Mash | Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash | Steel typing resists Ice attacks while Mega boost enhances Steel-type damage across the team. |
CP Ranges
Understanding CP ranges helps trainers evaluate the strength of Black Kyurem when caught from raids.
- Perfect (L20): 2,533-2,631 CP
- Weather Boost (L25): 3,167-3,289 CP
- Boosted by: Snowy & Windy
Keep in mind that weather-boosted Black Kyurem is significantly harder to defeat, so always prepare strong Ice, Dragon, Fairy-type counters.
Weather Boost Effects
| Weather | Effect |
|---|---|
| Windy | Boosts Dragon-type moves (very helpful) |
| Snowy | Boosts Ice-type moves (excellent condition) |
| Partly Cloudy | Boosts Rock moves |
| Cloudy | Boosts Fighting moves |
Revive & Potion Cost
- Average revives used: 8–14
- Average potions used: 10–18
- Dodging significantly reduces resource usage
- Using Mega Pokémon reduces total relobbies
Common Raid Mistakes
- Not bringing a Mega Pokémon for team boosts
- Using weather-boosted Pokémon of the wrong type
- Relobbying too late and losing damage time
- Ignoring dodging during hard-hitting moves
Best Team Compositions
Small Group (3–4 Trainers)
With strong Steel, Dragon, or Fighting-type counters and at least one Mega Pokémon, Black Kyurem can be defeated by 3 to 4 high-level trainers.
Medium Group (5–7 Trainers)
A group of 5 to 7 trainers with decent counters should have no trouble defeating Black Kyurem.
Large Group (8+ Trainers)
Black Kyurem becomes very easy with a large group, but avoid overfilling the lobby to save raid passes.
Recommended Teams
Fairy + Fighting Team
- Mega Gardevoir (Charm + Dazzling Gleam)
- Terrakion (Double Kick + Sacred Sword)
- Conkeldurr
- Machamp
- Togekiss (Charm + Dazzling Gleam)
- Sylveon
Steel + Rock Team
- Mega Metagross (Bullet Punch + Meteor Mash)
- Metagross (Bullet Punch + Meteor Mash)
- Rhyperior
- Rampardos
- Dialga
- Terrakion (Double Kick + Sacred Sword)
Recommended Group Size
- 3 Trainers: Possible with maxed counters
- 4 Trainers: Reliable clear
- 5+ Trainers: Very safe win
Because of Black Kyurem’s higher Attack stat, smaller groups require optimized level 40+ counters.
Raid Strategy
Identify Charged Move Quickly
If Black Kyurem is using Blizzard, switch to Steel or Rock-heavy teams. If it has a Dragon-type charged move, mix in Fighting or Steel Pokémon to avoid frequent fainting.
Use Mega Boosts Strategically
Mega Fighting, Mega Steel, or Mega Dragon Pokémon increase team-wide DPS significantly. Coordinate activation timing with your raid group.
Balance Damage and Survivability
High-DPS Dragon teams clear faster but may faint frequently. Balanced teams reduce relobby time and improve consistency.
Buddy Distance
20 km (per Pokémon GO buddy distance)
Shadow & Mega Comparison
Rewards
- Chance to catch Shiny Black Kyurem (with boosted IVs)
- Rare Candy & XL Candy
Shiny Black Kyurem
Shiny Black Kyurem is available in Pokémon GO. The shiny version has green highlights instead of blue and is highly valuable for collectors and battlers.
Why Raid Black Kyurem?
Yes. Black Kyurem is among the strongest Dragon-type attackers in Pokémon GO and has strong PvE relevance. It is a top-tier investment for trainers focusing on raid performance. Stocking up on Candy and XL Candy is highly recommended.
FAQ
Can Black Kyurem be shiny in Pokémon GO?
Yes! Shiny Black Kyurem is available. It features a beautiful icy-blue body with yellow accents.
What are best moveset of Black Kyurem?
Best moveset of Black Kyurem are Dragon Tail (Fast Attack, 14 damage) and Freeze Shock (Charged Attack, 160).
How many trainers are needed to defeat Black Kyurem?
3–5 trainers with strong counters can defeat Black Kyurem efficiently. High-level players may duo it with optimized teams.
Is Black Kyurem a difficult raid boss?
Black Kyurem has high attack and decent bulk. Proper type advantage makes it manageable but still challenging.
What makes Black Kyurem strong?
Its high attack, strong resistances make it a top-tier raid and PvP option.
Conclusion
Black Kyurem is a high-damage legendary raid boss that rewards preparation and optimized teams. Use Fighting or Steel types for stability, Rock types for Ice-heavy movesets, and Dragons for maximum DPS in coordinated groups. Plan around weather boosts and Mega Evolutions to secure smooth victories.
Related Guides
Looking for more counters? Check out our Mega Blaziken Raid Guide, Mega Lucario Raid Guide
Summary
To beat Black Kyurem efficiently, use high-level Dragon, Fighting, and Fairy Pokémon with optimized movesets. Solo attempts require maxed-out counters, while larger groups benefit from coordinated DPS rotations and shield management. Weather conditions and move selection can greatly influence battle success.