Introduction
Mega Dragonite represents an even more powerful version of the already formidable Dragonite. As a Dragon and Flying-type Pokémon, it combines strong offensive moves with impressive bulk, making it one of the more challenging Mega Raid bosses in Pokémon GO.
The good news for trainers is that Mega Dragonite has a major weakness to Ice-type attacks. Because Ice moves deal double damage to both Dragon and Flying types, powerful Ice-type Pokémon can defeat this raid boss very efficiently.
This guide will help you prepare the best raid team by explaining Mega Dragonite’s weaknesses, recommended counters, and strategies for completing the raid successfully. Whether you are raiding with a small group of trainers or a larger team, understanding these mechanics will make the battle much easier.
Mega Dragonite Stats
| Type | Dragon / Flying |
| Max CP | 5452 |
| Weather Boost | Windy |
| Shiny | Yes |
| Base Attack | 299 |
| Base Defence | 255 |
| Base Stamina | 209 |
🧬 About Mega Dragonite in Pokémon GO
Mega Dragonite has extremely strong attack stats and access to powerful Dragon-type moves. Because of its Flying typing, it takes double damage from Ice attacks, making Ice-type Pokémon the best counters.
Mega Dragonite is popular for:
- Raids (as a Dragon-type attacker)
- Master League PvP
- Shiny collection
⚠️ Mega Dragonite Weaknesses
Mega Dragonite is a Dragon and Flying type Pokémon. This unique combination creates a double weakness to Ice-type attacks.
Ice-type moves deal massive damage to Mega Dragonite because both Dragon and Flying types are weak to Ice. As a result, Ice attackers perform significantly better than most other types in this raid.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| ❌ Double Weak To: |
 Ice
|
| ❌ Weak To: |
 Rock •
 Fairy •
 Dragon
|
| ✅ Resistant To: |
 Fighting •
 Bug •
 Water •
 Fire •
 Ground •
 Grass
|
Notes:Although Dragon and Fairy counters are viable options, Ice-type Pokémon remain the most efficient way to defeat Mega Dragonite quickly.
🗡️ Best Counters for Mega Dragonite
The best way to defeat Mega Dragonite is to use Ice-type Pokémon because of its double weakness to Ice.
❄️ Ice-Type Counters (Best Overall Choice)
Because of the double weakness, Ice-type Pokémon deal massive super-effective damage and are the top priority for this raid.
- Powder Snow + Avalanche
- Ice Shard + Icicle Crash
- Mega Ice Pokémon provide strong team-wide boosts
- Mamoswine: (Powder Snow / Avalanche)
- Abomasnow: (Powder Snow / Weather Ball)
- Glalie: (Frost Breath / Avalanche)
Mamoswine is one of the best non-Mega counters available. It offers exceptional Ice-type DPS and is widely accessible.
Although slightly less bulky, Mega Abomasnow provides strong Ice damage and boosts team Ice attackers.
Mega Glalie boosts all Ice-type Pokémon in your party and raid group. When used first in battle, it significantly increases overall team DPS.
🐉 Dragon-Type Counters (High DPS)
Dragon-types deal strong super-effective damage but take heavy damage from Dragon-type charged moves. Use them carefully.
- Dragon Tail + Outrage
- Dragon Breath + Draco Meteor
- Rayquaza: (Dragon Tail / Outrage)
Dragon-type counters are effective but less efficient than Ice due to lack of double weakness advantage.
✨ Fairy-Type Counters
Fairy-types deal consistent damage and resist Dragon-type moves, making them a safer alternative to Dragon attackers.
- Charm + Dazzling Gleam
- Fairy Wind + Play Rough
🪨 Rock-Type Counters
Rock-type Pokémon are effective against Flying typing and provide solid durability in battle.
Difficulty
Large teams can overwhelm it with coordinated counters, while smaller squads must prioritize type advantage, dodging, and optimal DPS rotation.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mewtwo | Psycho Cut / Confusion | Focus Blast / Flamethrower / Thunderbolt / Psychic / Ice Beam | Hyper Beam / Shadow Ball / Psystrike | Psycho Cut and Ice Beam | Ice Beam deals double super-effective damage to Dragon/Flying typing, while Mewtwo’s high Attack stat ensures strong burst DPS. |
| Glaceon | Ice Shard / Frost Breath | Avalanche / Ivy Wind / Ice Beam | Last Resort / Water Pulse | Frost Breath and Avalanche | Pure Ice typing with Avalanche exploits Mega Dragonite’s double weakness to Ice for extremely high damage output. |
| Aurorus | Rock Throw / Powder Snow / Frost Breath | Ancient Power / Meteor Beam / Hyper Beam / Weather Ball / Blizzard / Thunderbolt | None | Frost Breath and Weather Ball | Ice-type fast and charged moves hit for double super-effective damage, while Rock subtyping adds extra coverage. |
| Weavile | Ice Shard / Feint Attack / Snarl | Focus Blast / Avalanche / Triple Axel / Foul Play | None | Ice Shard and Avalanche | Fast Ice-type moves combined with Triple Axel deliver rapid double super-effective damage. |
| Zamazenta | Metal Claw / Ice Fang | Moon Blast / Close Combat / Giga Impact / Behemoth Bash | None | Ice Fang and Behemoth Bash | Ice Fang provides super-effective Ice coverage, though it is less optimal than dedicated Ice attackers. |
| Avalugg | Ice Fang / Bite | Body Slam / Earthquake / Mirror Coat / Avalanche / Icy Wind / Crunch | None | Ice Fang and Avalanche | High Defense allows it to survive Dragon moves longer while dealing strong Ice-type damage. |
| Galarian Darmanitan | Tackle / Ice Fang | Superpower / Overheat / Avalanche / Ice Punch | None | Ice Fang and Avalanche | One of the highest Ice-type DPS options thanks to strong Attack stat and Avalanche. |
| Baxcalibur | Ice Fang / Dragon Breath | Avalanche / Blizzard / Icy Wind / Dragon Claw / Outrage | None | Ice Fang and Avalanche | Ice Fang and Avalanche deal double super-effective damage while maintaining solid overall bulk. |
| Cetitan | Tackle / Ice Shard / Powder Snow | Body Slam / Superpower / Heavy Slam / Avalanche / Icicle Spear | None | Ice Shard and Avalanche | Strong Ice-type charge moves exploit the double Ice weakness effectively. |
| Primal Kyogre | Waterfall | Hydro Pump / Surf / Thunder / Blizzard / Avalanche | Origin Pulse | Waterfall and Avalanche | Blizzard provides powerful Ice-type coverage, though it is slower compared to dedicated Ice attackers. |
| Mamoswine | Mud Slap / Powder Snow | Bulldoze / High Horsepower / Stone Edge / Avalanche / Icicle Spear | Ancient Power | Powder Snow and Avalanche | Powder Snow and Avalanche provide top-tier Ice DPS, making it one of the best overall counters. |
| Eternatus | Poison Jab / Dragon Tail | Flamethrower / Dragon Pulse / Sludge Bomb | Dynamax Cannon | Dragon Tail and Sludge Bomb | High base stats provide strong neutral damage, though it does not fully exploit the double Ice weakness. |
| White Kyurem | Dragon Breath / Steel Wing / Ice Fang | Blizzard / Ancient Power / Dragon Pulse / Focus Blast / Fusion Flare / Ice Burn | None | Ice Fang and Ice Burn | Ice Fang and Ice Burn deal massive double super-effective damage while benefiting from high offensive stats. |
| Black Kyurem | Shadow Claw / Dragon Tail | Stone Edge / Blizzard / Iron Head / Outrage / Fusion Bolt / Freeze Shock | None | Dragon Tail and Freeze Shock | Strong Dragon/Ice hybrid attacker delivering very high damage output, though vulnerable to Dragon moves. |
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 Mewtwo | Psycho Cut / Confusion | Focus Blast / Flamethrower / Thunderbolt / Psychic / Ice Beam | Hyper Beam / Shadow Ball / Psystrike | Psycho Cut and Ice Beam | Shadow boost increases Ice Beam damage significantly, creating extremely high burst DPS. |
| Shadow Mamoswine | Mud Slap / Powder Snow | Bulldoze / High Horsepower / Stone Edge / Avalanche / Icicle Spear | Ancient Power | Powder Snow and Avalanche | Shadow boost amplifies Avalanche damage, making it one of the highest Ice DPS options available. |
| Shadow Aurorus | Rock Throw / Powder Snow / Frost Breath | Ancient Power / Meteor Beam / Hyper Beam / Weather Ball / Blizzard / Thunderbolt | None | Frost Breath and Weather Ball | Shadow bonus increases Ice-type output while still exploiting the double weakness. |
| Shadow Articuno | Ice Shard / Frost Breath | Ancient Power / Icy Wind / Ice Beam / Triple Axel / Blizzard | Hurricane | Frost Breath and Ice Beam | Strong Ice-type moves combined with Shadow attack boost increase overall raid DPS. |
| Shadow Weavile | Ice Shard / Feint Attack / Snarl | Focus Blast / Avalanche / Triple Axel / Foul Play | None | Ice Shard and Avalanche | Shadow-boosted Triple Axel and Avalanche apply rapid double super-effective pressure. |
| Shadow Mr Rime | Ice Shard / Confusion / Zen Headbutt | Psybeam / Psychic / Ice Punch / Icy Wind / Triple Axel | None | Ice Shard and Triple Axel | Ice-type fast and charged moves benefit from Shadow attack boost for increased damage. |
| Shadow Alola Ninetales | Powder Snow / Feint Attack / Charm | Psyshock / Ice Beam / Blizzard / Weather Ball / Dazzling Gleam | None | Powder Snow and Weather Ball | Powder Snow and Weather Ball apply consistent Ice pressure while Shadow bonus increases output. |
| Shadow Walrein | Waterfall / Frost Breath | Earthquake / Water Pulse / Blizzard | Powder Snow / Icicle Spear | Frost Breath and Icicle Spear | Shadow boost improves Ice-type charge move efficiency despite moderate bulk. |
| Shadow Gardevoir | Confusion / Charge Beam / Charm / Magical Leaf | Shadow Ball / Dazzling Gleam / Psychic / Triple Axel | Synchronoise | Charm and Dazzling Gleam | Charm and Dazzling Gleam apply consistent Fairy pressure while Shadow bonus increases damage. |
| Shadow Regice | Lock-On / Rock Smash / Frost Breath | Focus Blast / Earthquake / Blizzard | Thunder | Frost Breath and Blizzard | Blizzard deals powerful double super-effective Ice damage with increased Shadow attack bonus. |
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 Diancie | Tackle / Rock Throw | Rock Slide / Power Gem / Moonblast | None | Rock Throw and Rock Slide | Rock Throw and Rock Slide exploit Flying typing while Mega boost increases Rock-type team damage. |
| Mega Glalie | Ice Shard / Powder Snow / Frost Breath / Rollout | Gyro Ball / Shadow Ball / Avalanche | None | Frost Breath and Avalanche | Provides strong Ice-type DPS while boosting all Ice-type teammates for faster raid clears. |
| Mega Abomasnow | Razor Leaf / Leafage / Powder Snow | Energy Ball / Blizzard / Outrage / Weather Ball / Icy Wind | None | Powder Snow and Weather Ball | Powder Snow and Weather Ball exploit the double Ice weakness while providing team-wide Ice boost. |
| Mega Garchomp | Mud Shot / Dragon Tail | Earthquake / Sand Tomb / Fire Blast / Outrage / Breaking Swipe | Earth Power | Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe | High Dragon-type DPS but takes heavy damage from Dragon moves, making it a risky high-damage option. |
| Mega Rayquaza | Air Slash / Dragon Tail | Aerial Ace / Dragon Ascent / Ancient Power / Outrage | Hurricane / Breaking Swipe | Dragon Tail and Outrage | Extremely high Dragon DPS but vulnerable to Dragon-type charged attacks. |
| Mega Gardevoir | Confusion / Charge Beam / Charm / Magical Leaf | Shadow Ball / Dazzling Gleam / Psychic / Triple Axel | Synchronoise | Charm and Dazzling Gleam | Fairy typing resists Dragon moves while dealing consistent super-effective damage. |
🌀 Mega Dragonite Moveset
🗡️ Fast Moves
- Dragon Breath
- Steel Wing
- Dragon Tail
💥 Charged Moves
- Hyper Beam
- Thunder Punch
- Hurricane
- Outrage
- Superpower
- Dragon Claw
🔄 Elite Moves
- Dragon Pulse
- Draco Meteor
Most Dangerous Moves
Outrage is extremely dangerous and can knock out fragile Ice attackers quickly.
Hurricane can also hit hard, especially against Fighting counters.
If facing Outrage, consider strategic dodging to preserve high-DPS Ice attackers.
🎯 Catch CP & 100% IV
After defeating Mega Dragonite, you will catch a normal Dragonite.
CP Range:
- No Weather Boost: 2,656-2,755 CP
- Weather Boost: 3,321-3,445 CP
100% IV:
- 2755 (Normal)
- 3445 (Weather Boosted)
Use:
- Golden Razz Berry
- Curveball Excellent Throws
🌦️ Weather Boost
Weather conditions significantly impact raid performance and damage output.
🌬️ Windy Weather
- Boosts Dragon-type counters but also strengthens Mega Dragonite’s Dragon moves.
☀️ Sunny Weather
- Neutral impact on top counters
🌧️ Rainy Weather
- Boosts Dragonite’s Flying-type damage
🌨️ Snowy Weather
- Boosts Ice-type counters
Revive & Potion Cost
- Average revives used: 8–14
- Average potions used: 10–18
- Dodging significantly reduces resource usage
- Using Mega Pokémon reduces total relobbies
Why Ice Counters Dominate This Raid
Because Dragon is weak to Ice and Flying is also weak to Ice, Ice-type moves stack their multiplier. This creates one of the strongest type advantages in raids.
Even average Ice Pokémon can outperform strong Dragon-type attackers due to this multiplier. Therefore, Ice attackers should form the core of your team.
Common Raid Mistakes
- Avoid using fragile Fire or Grass attackers that will faint quickly to Mega Dragonite’s strong Dragon- and Flying-type moves.
- Ice attackers deal massive damage but faint quickly to Outrage. Consider dodging to preserve them.
Recommended Teams
🥇 Optimal DPS Team (Fastest Clear)
- Mega Glalie
- Mamoswine (Powder Snow + Avalanche)
- Galarian Darmanitan (Ice Fang + Avalanche)
- Weavile (Ice Shard + Avalanche)
- Glaceon (Frost Breath + Avalanche)
- Baxcalibur
Why this works: Ice-type attacks deal double super-effective damage, making this the highest DPS strategy available.
🛡 Balanced Team (Safer Option)
- Mega Glalie
- Mamoswine (Powder Snow + Avalanche)
- Baxcalibur
- Tyranitar (Smack Down + Stone Edge)
- Dialga (Dragon Breath + Draco Meteor)
- Togekiss (Charm + Dazzling Gleam)
This setup mixes Ice with Rock and Fairy coverage for improved survivability if Ice options are limited.
💰 Budget-Friendly Counters
- Glaceon (Frost Breath + Avalanche)
- Weavile (Ice Shard + Avalanche)
- Mamoswine (Powder Snow + Avalanche)
- Aurorus
- Jynx
- Alolan Ninetales
These Pokémon remain highly effective even without Mega evolutions.
How Many Trainers Are Needed?
- High-level Ice teams: 2–3 trainers
- Mixed teams: 4–5 trainers
- Casual players: 5–7 trainers recommended
🧠 Battle Strategy & Team Planning
Mega Dragonite’s Dragon and Flying dual typing creates vulnerabilities to Ice, Fairy, and Dragon moves. Ice-type Pokémon such as Mamoswine and Weavile hit Dragonite super-effectively and are especially valuable when weather conditions boost Ice attacks. During Snowy or Partly Cloudy weather, Ice-type counters become even more effective because their moves get a weather bonus, allowing you to deal more damage per second (DPS).
Fairy-type Pokémon like Togekiss and Sylveon are also excellent choices due to their resistance to Dragon-type moves and strong Fairy charge moves such as Dazzling Gleam. Fairy-type moves are boosted in Cloudy weather, Dragon-type moves are boosted in Windy weather, making it easier to bring down Mega Dragonite faster with coordinated team play.
Dodging powerful charged attacks like Outrage and Draco Meteor can significantly boost your team’s survivability, especially in smaller raid groups. Not every dodge is necessary — focus on dodging high-damage charges that would otherwise knock out key counters early in the fight. This is particularly important when fighting in harder weather conditions or with fewer trainers.
When planning your team, lead with your strongest Ice and Fairy counters to apply pressure early. Once those Pokémon start to faint, switch in secondary counters that still exploit weaknesses but offer greater bulk. In larger raid groups, coordination can speed up the clear: assign Ice-type counters to focus first, then add Fairy-type support so that your team deals balanced damage while sustaining fewer losses.
Beginner Strategy (Level 25–35)
- Join with at least 4–6 trainers
- Use any available Ice attackers
- Focus on powering up Mamoswine or Glaceon
- Do not use Grass, Fire, or Water types
Beginners should prioritize survival and team size over attempting aggressive DPS strategies.
Intermediate Strategy (Level 35–40)
- 3–5 trainers possible
- Build full Ice-type team
- Use one Mega Ice lead
- Relobby quickly if needed
At this level, coordinated Ice teams significantly reduce clear time.
Expert Strategy (Level 40+)
Duo Strategy
A duo is possible under Snowy weather with maxed Ice attackers and Mega boost support. Both trainers must run optimized Ice teams with level 40+ Pokémon.
Trio Strategy
A trio is more realistic in neutral weather. Focus on maintaining Mega boost uptime and minimizing relobby delays.
Solo Possibility
A true solo is extremely difficult and only achievable under highly optimized conditions with top-tier level 50 Ice Pokémon and ideal weather. For most players, solo is not realistic.
🧠 Raid Strategy
Prioritize Ice-Type Damage
Build your team around strong Ice attackers to exploit the double weakness and reduce raid duration significantly.
Watch for Dragon-Type Charged Moves
If Mega Dragonite uses Outrage or Draco Meteor, Dragon counters may faint quickly. Mix in Fairy-types for stability.
Coordinate Mega Evolutions
Activating a Mega Ice Pokémon early increases team-wide Ice damage and speeds up the raid.
Can Mega Dragonite Be Shiny in Pokémon GO?
After defeating Mega Dragonite in a raid battle, trainers will encounter the regular Dragonite. This encounter has a chance of being a Shiny Dragonite.
Shiny Dragonite has a distinctive green color compared to the orange appearance of the normal version. Because shiny Pokémon are rare, many players participate in multiple raids to increase their chances of encountering one.
Mega Raids often have better shiny odds compared to standard wild encounters, making them one of the best ways to hunt for shiny Pokémon in Pokémon GO.
Tips to Catch Dragonite After Raid
- Use Golden Razz Berries
- Throw curveballs for extra catch bonus
- Aim for Excellent throws
Combining curveball throws with Golden Razz Berries provides the highest capture chance.
Evolution, Mega Details & Buddy Distance
| Evolution Line | Base(Dratini) → Stage(Dragonair) → Final(Dragonite) → Mega(Dragonite) |
| Mega Energy (First) | 300 |
| Subsequent Cost | 60 |
| Buddy Distance | 5 km |
| Mega Energy via Buddy | Yes |
| Mega Boost Bonus(Walking) | Extra Candy |
| Mega Boost Bonus(Catch) | Extra Dragon/Flying-type Candy |
| Mega Boost Bonus(Buddy^) | 25 Mega Energy per candy |
Buddy Distance
5 km (per Pokémon GO buddy distance)
Shadow & Mega Comparison
Best Mega Evolutions
Using a Mega Evolution provides a damage boost to other players in the raid lobby. This bonus can greatly reduce the time required to defeat Mega Dragonite.
- Mega Glalie – ❄️ Best Ice team boost
- Mega Abomasnow – ❄️ Strong Ice DPS + team boost
- Mega Diancie – 🪨 Strong Rock damage
- Mega Gardevoir – ✨ Fairy damage + 🐉 Dragon resistance
Mega Abomasnow is particularly effective because it boosts Ice-type damage for all trainers participating in the raid.
🎁 Rewards
- Chance to catch Shiny Mega Dragonite (with boosted IVs), with Mega Energy
- Rare Candy & XL Candy
📌 Is Mega Dragonite Worth Raiding?
Pros:
- Strong Dragon-type Mega boost
- High raid prestige
- Shiny potential
Cons:
- Challenging for small groups
- Requires strong Ice investment
PvP Relevance
Mega Dragonite is a strong pick in Master League thanks to Draco Meteor and Superpower.
Regular vs Shiny Mega Dragonite Forms
The shiny version has a distinctive green color compared to the normal orange appearance. Shiny Pokémon are rare and can only be encountered after completing the raid.
Normal Dratini
Shiny Dratini
Normal Dragonair
Shiny Dragonair
Normal Dragonite
Shiny Dragonite
Mega Dragonite
Shiny Mega Dragonite
FAQ
Can Mega Dragonite be shiny in Pokémon GO?
Shiny Mega Dragonite features a golden-red glow and is available during this raid period.
Is Mega Dragonite hard to defeat?
It can be challenging without Ice-type counters, but manageable with proper team setup.
Can it be duoed?
Yes, strong Ice teams at high trainer levels can complete the raid with two players.
Best Mega support?
A Mega Ice-type Pokémon boosts team-wide Ice damage significantly.
🏁 Conclusion
Mega Dragonite is a high-damage Mega Raid boss with a major double weakness to Ice-type attacks. Focus on Ice counters for maximum efficiency, use Fairy-types for safer play, and coordinate Mega boosts to secure smooth and fast raid victories.
Summary
Efficiently defeating Mega Dragonite requires maximizing type advantages, choosing weather-boosted attackers, and timing shields correctly. Even small groups can succeed with high-level Ice, Rock, Fairy, or Dragon Pokémon, making the raid rewarding and strategic for trainers of all levels.