Introduction
Gigantamax Butterfree is the powerful G-Max form of Butterfree, appearing in special Pokémon GO raids. With its Bug/Flying typing, it has multiple resistances to common moves but remains highly vulnerable to Electric, Fire, and Rock attacks.
Trainers who understand its moves, weaknesses, and optimal counters can defeat this raid quickly, even in smaller groups. This guide will cover everything from movesets and CP ranges to shiny availability, ensuring you are fully prepared for the battle.
Whether you are a beginner trainer or an experienced raider, these tips and counters will help you defeat Gigantamax Butterfree efficiently while maximizing rewards.
Related guides: Gigantamax Drednaw | Gigantamax Duraludon
Overview
Butterfree as a Gigantamax raid boss emphasizes sustained aerial and special damage. Its Bug/Flying typing means it can threaten with strong Bug moves (Bug Buzz), Flying moves (Hurricane / Aerial Ace variants in events) and Fairy/Psychic coverage in special spawns.
The G-Max HP pool means fights reward high-EPS attackers and reliable super-effective coverage. Your core objective is to exploit Butterfree’s type weaknesses while avoiding Ground and many common melee attackers that are resisted.
Pro tip: Butterfree is exceptionally vulnerable to Rock moves (4×). If you have powered rock attackers, prioritize them — a single well-placed Rock team will drop the required player count dramatically.
Weakness & Typing
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Primary weaknesses |
Flying •
Rock •
Fire •
Electric •
Ice
|
| Resists | Fighting •
Ground •
Bug •
Grass
|
| Note | G-Max moves may add secondary effects (debuffs/buffs). Expect higher HP pools and potential battlefield effects — play for sustained DPS and survivability. |
Pro tip: Rock-type Max Moves deal the highest overall damage due to Butterfree’s Flying typing stacking with Bug weakness.
Best Pokemon
Gigantamax-type Counters
- Coalossal (Smack Down / G-Max Volcalith)
- Toxtricity (Spark / G-Max Stun Shock)
- Cinderace (Tackle / G-Max Fireball)
Dynamax-type Counters
- Omastar (Rock Throw / Max Rockfall)
- Darmanitan (Incinerate / Max Flare)
Best Gigantamax Counters for Gigantamax Butterfree
Gigantamax Butterfree is Bug/Flying-type raid boss. It is weak to Rock , Fire, Electric and Ice moves. During Max Battles, your goal is to maximize Rock-type Gigantamax damage during the Max Phase.
🥇 Tier 1 – Optimal Rock-Type Damage
| Pokémon | Fast Moves | Gigantamax Moves | Charged Moves | Elite Moves | Best Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gigantamax Coalossal | Smack Down, Incinerate | G-Max Volcalith | Rock Slide, Flame Charge, Rock Blast | - | Incinerate(32) and G-Max Volcalith(350) |
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| Gigantamax Cinderace | Tackle, Fire Spin | G-Max Fireball | Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Focus Blast | - | Fire Spin(13) and G-Max Fireball(350) |
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| Gigantamax Charizard | Air Slash, Fire Spin | G-Max Wildfire | Dragon Claw, Fire Blast, Air Cutter, Overheat | Dragon Breath, Ember, Wing Attack, Blast Burn, Flamethrower | Fire Spin(13) and G-Max Wildfire(350) |
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| Gigantamax Centiskorch | Bug Bite, Ember | G-Max Centiferno | Crunch, Lunge, Heat Wave, Bug Buzz | - | Ember(10) and G-Max Centiferno(350) |
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🥈 Secondary Options
| Pokémon | Fast Moves | Gigantamax Moves | Charged Moves | Elite Moves | Best Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gigantamax Toxtricity | Spark, Poison Jab, Acid | G-Max Stun Shock | Discharge, Wild Charge, Acid Spray, Power Up Punch | - | Poison Jab(13) and G-Max Stun Shock(350) |
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🥉 Tier 3 — Situational Picks (Neutral Damage)
The following Gigantamax Pokémon are usable in larger lobbies but do not exploit Butterfree weakness. They rely on neutral Max damage and are less efficient in optimized groups:
| Pokémon | Fast Moves | Gigantamax Moves | Charged Moves | Elite Moves | Best Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gigantamax Lapras | Frost Breath, Water Gun, Psywave | G-Max Resonance | Blizzard, Hydro Pump, Surf, Skull Bash, Sparkling Aria | Ice Shard, Ice Beam, Dragon Pulse | Frost Breath(11) and G-Max Resonance(350) |
| Gigantamax Corviknight | Steel Wing, Air Slash, Sand Attack | G-Max Wind Rage | Sky Attack, Payback | Iron Head, Air Cutter | Steel Wing(14) and G-Max Wind Rage(350) |
| Gigantamax Inteleon | Pound, Water Gun | G-Max Hydrosnipe | Shadow Ball, Water Pulse, Surf | - | Pound(6) and G-Max Hydrosnipe(350) |
| Gigantamax Gengar | Sucker Punch, Shadow Claw, Hex | G-Max Terror | Shadow Ball, Sludge Bomb, Focus Blast, Drain Punch | Lick, Dark Pulse, Shadow Punch, Sludge Wave, Psychic | Hex(8) and G-Max Terror(350) |
Max Phase Strategy
- Build Max Meter safely with bulky Pokémon.
- Switch to Rock Gigantamax Pokémon during Max Phase.
- Prioritize Fire-type Max Moves for consistent super-effective damage.
Summary: Gigantamax Coalossal is the safest and strongest counter, followed closely by Charizard-focused Gigantamax options.
Best Dynamax Counters for Gigantamax Butterfree
If Gigantamax Rock Pokémon are unavailable, Dynamax attackers using Rock-type or Fire-type Max Moves provide strong alternatives.
🥇 Top Rock-Type Dynamax Attackers
| Pokémon | Dynamax Moves | Fast Moves | Charged Moves | Elite Moves | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamax Omastar | Max Quake, Max Geyser, Max Rockfall | Mud Shot, Water Gun | Ancient Power, Hydro Pump, Rock Blast | Rock Throw, Rock Slide | |
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| Dynamax Blastoise | Max Geyser, Max Darkness, Max Rockfall | Bite, Water Gun, Rollout | Flash Cannon, Ice Beam, Skull Bash | Hydro Cannon | |
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| Dynamax Gigalith | Max Quake, Max Rockfall | Mud Slap, Smack Down | Rock Slide, Solar Beam, Superpower, Heavy Slam | Meteor Beam | |
| Dynamax Boldore | Max Quake, Max Rockfall | Mud Slap, Smack Down | Rock Slide, Bulldoze, Stone Edge | Solar Beam | |
🥈 Fire & Electric Alternatives
| Pokémon | Dynamax Moves | Fast Moves | Charged Moves | Elite Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamax Darmanitan | Max Strike, Max Flare | Tackle, Fire Fang, Incinerate | Overheat, Focus Blast, Psychic, Rock Slide | - |
| Dynamax Moltres | Max Flare, Max Airstream | Fire Spin, Wing Attack | Fire Blast, Overheat, Heat Wave, Ancient Power | Sky Attack |
| Dynamax Zapdos | Max Lightning | Charge Beam | Zap Cannon, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Ancient Power, Drill Peck | Thunder Shock |
| Dynamax Flareon | Max Flare | Ember, Fire Spin | Fire Blast, Flamethrower, Overheat | Last resort, Superpower, Heat Wave |
| Dynamax Raikou | Max Lightning | Thunder Shock, Volt Switch | Shadow Ball, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Wild Charge, Aura Sphere | - |
| Dynamax Ho-Oh | Max MindStorm, Max Strike, Max Flare, Max Guard, Max Spirit, Max Steelspike | Extrasensory, Steel Wing, Hidden Power, Incinerate | Brave Bird, Fire Blast, Solar Beam | Earthquake, Sacred Fire |
| Dynamax Wailord | Max MindStorm, Max Geyser, Max Rockfall | Water Gun, Zen Headbutt, Rollout | Surf, Blizzard, Hyper Beam, Scald | - |
| Dynamax Cinderace | Max Flare, Max Strike | Tackle, Fire Spin | Flame Charge, Flamethrower, Focus Blast | - |
| Dynamax Entei | Max Flare | Fire Spin, Fire Fang | Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Overheat, Iron Head, Flame Charge, Scorching Sands | - |
| Dynamax Jolteon | Max Lightning | Thunder Shock, Volt Switch | Discharge, Thunderbolt, Thunder | Last Resort, Zap Cannon |
| Dynamax Arcanine | Max Flare, Max Knuckle, Max Lightning | Snarl, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang | Crunch, Fire Blast, Wild Charge, Flamethrower, Psychic Fangs, Scorching Sands | Bite, Bulldoze |
| Dynamax Toxtricity | Max Lightning, Max Ooze | Acid, Spark, Poison Jab | Acid Spray, Discharge, Wild Charge, Power-Up Punch | - |
| Dynamax Charizard | Max Flare, Max Airstream, Max Wyrmwind | Fire Spin, Air Slash | Dragon Claw, Fire Blast, Overheat, Air Cutter | Ember, Wing Attack, Dragon Breath, Blast Burn, Flamethrower |
🥉 Tier 3 - Situational Dynamax Options
| Pokémon | Dynamax Moves | Fast Moves | Charged Moves | Elite Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamax Glaceon | Max Hailstorm | Ice Shard, Frost Breath | Avalanche, Icy Wind, Ice Beam | Last Resort, Water Pulse |
| Dynamax Unfezant | Max Airstream, Max Steelspike | Air Slash, Steel Wing | Heat Wave, Hyper Beam, Sky Attack | - |
| Eternatus | Dynamax Cannon | Dragon Tail, Poison Jab | Sludge Bomb, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower | - |
Max Battle Strategy
- Prioritize Rock-type Max Moves.
- Charge Max Meter safely with bulkier Pokémon.
- Switch to high DPS Rock attackers during Max Phase.
- Coordinate Max usage in groups to avoid overlap.
- Dodge strong charged moves to maintain DPS.
Rock attackers dramatically shorten the battle due to Butterfree’s double weakness. Proper Max Phase timing is critical for efficiency.
Moves & Threats
Butterfree common fast moves are Struggle Bug or Confusion. Charged moves include Bug Buzz or Signal Beam and Psychic. Elite moves include Bug Bite. G-Max Befuddle not only delivers heavy damage but also leaves a damaging area for a short time — timing your swaps and using at least one bulky support reduces wipe risk.
Threat: Bug Buzz can deal continuous damage, and Air Slash can flinch or push back your counters.
Pro tip: Lead with Rock-types like Tyranitar or Rhyperior or Electric-types like Zapdos or Magnezone.
Weather Effects & Battle Flow
Rainy/Clear weather : boosts Bug damage. Windy weather : boosts Flying attackers. Partly Cloudy weather: boosts Rock attackers.
Status effects from G-Max Befuddle can disrupt your raid — bring bulky Rock-types or shields to stay in the fight longer.
Practical Battle Tips
- Avoid Grass- and Bug-types—they’ll take extra damage.
- Dodge charged moves to save your Pokémon.
Size
Recommended: 15–20 trainers for comfortable clears with mixed player levels. With many Gigantamax / Dynamax counters, 10–14 can work. Under 8 trainers should be attempted only if all participants are high-level and coordinated with ideal counters and Dynamax/G-Max boosts.
Rewards
Reasons include Pokédex entry, strong Bug / Flying attacker, shiny chance, and XL Candy farming.
When To Avoid
Avoid using Grass and Fighting types — they take super-effective damage from Butterfree’s Flying and Psychic coverage.
Raid Strategy & Catch Tips
Gigantamax Butterfree’s moves can inflict status effects and KO fragile attackers quickly. Prioritize sturdy Rock or Fire attackers, and dodge when possible to maximize survival.
Can You Get Shiny Gigantamax Butterfree?
Yes! After defeating Gigantamax Butterfree in a raid, you can encounter the regular Butterfree, which has a chance to be **Shiny**. The shiny form features a purple color scheme instead of the usual blue, making it highly sought after by collectors.
Shiny Pokémon from raids are rare, but repeated participation in special raid events increases your chances of obtaining one.
FAQ
What is Gigantamax Butterfree type and weakness?
Butterfree is a Bug / Flying type. It is weak to Rock, Fire, Flying, Electric, Ice type moves.
Is Gigantamax Butterfree difficult to defeat?
It generally has lower defensive stats compared to many Gigantamax Pokémon, making it easier to defeat with proper counters.
Can Gigantamax Butterfree be shiny?
Yes, but in certain events.
Is Gigantamax Butterfree catchable after the raid?
Yes — standard raid catch mechanics apply.
What makes Gigantamax Butterfree unique?
Gigantamax Butterfree creates massive glowing wings that scatter scales across the battlefield, producing various status effects during battle.
Conclusion
Gigantamax Butterfree is a mechanically interesting raid boss: its Bug/Flying combo is predictable, but the G-Max residual damage forces teams to plan for survivability, not just pure DPS. Prioritize Rock and Fire Gigantamax picks, add Dynamax support for sustained windows, and include at least one high-TDO tank if your lobby is smaller. With the counters and tactics above, you’ll clear Butterfree efficiently and maximize your rewards.
- Use Fire, Rock, Flying, and Electric-types.
- Avoid Grass- and Bug-types.
- Dodge Bug Buzz and Air Slash.
- Take advantage of sunny or windy weather boosts.
Flying •
Rock •
Fire •
Electric •
Ice
Fighting •
Ground •
Bug •
Grass