Quick facts
Species: Houndoom (Mega)
Types: Dark / Fire
Primary weaknesses: Fighting, Ground, Rock, Water
Recommended lobby: 3–7 trainers
Mega Houndoom is a fast and deadly Fire/Dark-type Pokémon in raids. Its high attack power and versatile moveset make it a dangerous opponent for unprepared trainers. This guide walks you through best counters, movesets, weather strategy, and raid tips so you can take down Mega Houndoom efficiently in solo or group raids.
Table of Contents
Weakness Best Pokemon Regular Counters Shadow Counters Mega Counters Moveset Weather Effects Size Rewards FAQsWeaknesses & resistances
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Weak to |
 Fighting •
 Ground •
 Water •
 Rock
|
| Resists to |
 Ghost •
 Steel •
 Fire •
 Grass •
 Psychic •
 Ice •
 Dark
|
Best Mega Houndoom Counters
Mega-type Counters
- Swampert: Water Gun / Earthquake
- Houndoom: Rollout / Hydro Pump
- Gyarados: Dragon Tail / Hydro Pump
Shadow-type Counters
- Feraligator: Waterfall / Hydro Pump
- Samurott: Waterfall / Hydro Pump
- Kingler: Bubble / Crabhammer
Water-type Counters
- Greninja: Feint Attack / Hydro Pump
- Golisopod: Waterfall / Liquidation
- Primarina: Charm / Hydro Pump
Best Mega Evolutions
Recommended Megas to use against Mega Houndoom:
- Swampert, Houndoom, Gyarados, Slowbro – Water boost
- Garchomp – Ground boost
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primal Kyogre | Waterfall | Hydro Pump / Surf / Thunder / Blizzard / Avalanche | Origin Pulse | Waterfall (13) and Hydro Pump (135) |
| Blaziken | Counter / Fire Spin / Ember | Focus Blast / Aura Sphere / Brave Bird / Overheat / Blaze Kick | Stone Edge / Blast Burn | Counter / Fire Spin (13) and Overheat (160) |
| Terrakion | Double Kick / Smack Down / Zen Headbutt | Close Combat / Earthquake / Rock Slide | Sacred Sword | Smack Down (13) and Earthquake (140) |
| Keldeo(Resolute) | Low Kick / Poison Jab | Close Combat / Sacred Sword / X-Scissor / Aqua Jet / Hydro Pump | - | Poison Jab (13) and Hydro Pump (135) |
| Primal Groudon | Mud Shot / Dragon Tail | Earthquake / Fire Blast / Solar Beam | Precipice Blades / Fire Punch | Dragon Tail (14) and Solar Beam (180) |
| Landorus | Mud Shot / Extrasensory | Superpower / Earthquake / Bulldoze / Stone Edge | Sandsear Storm | Extrasensory (11) and Sandsear Storm (150) |
| Keldeo(Original) | Fire Fang / Dragon Breath | Stone Edge / Overheat / Draco Meteor / Crunch | Fusion Flare | Fire Fang (13) and Overheat (160) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Tyranitar | Iron Tail / Dragon Breath / Bite | Stone Edge / Fire Blast / Crunch / Brutal Swing | Smack Down | Iron Tail (14) and Fire Blast (140) |
| Shadow Groudon | Mud Shot / Dragon Tail | Earthquake / Fire Blast / Solar Beam | Precipice Blades / Fire Punch | Dragon Tail (14) and Solar Beam (180) |
| Shadow Blaziken | Counter / Fire Spin / Ember | Focus Blast / Aura Sphere / Brave Bird / Overheat / Blaze Kick | Stone Edge / Blast Burn | Counter / Fire Spin (13) and Overheat (160) |
| Shadow Kyogre | Waterfall | Hydro Pump / Surf / Thunder / Blizzard / Avalanche | Origin Pulse | Waterfall (13) and Hydro Pump (135) |
| Shadow Rhyperior | Mud Slap / Smack Down | Skull Bash / Superpower / Earthquake / Stone Edge / Surf / Breaking Swipe | Rock Wrecker | Mud Slap (19) and Earthquake (140) |
| Shadow Garchomp | Mud Shot / Dragon Tail | Earthquake / Sand Tomb / Fire Blast / Outrage / Breaking Swipe | Earth Power | Dragon Tail (14) and Fire Blast / Earthquake(140) |
| Shadow Conkeldurr | Counter / Poison Jab | Dynamic Punch / Focus Blast / Stone Edge | Brutal Swing | Counter / Poison Jab (13) and Focus Blast (140) |
| Shadow Rampardos | Smack Down / Zen Headbutt | Rock Slide / Flamethrower / Outrage | - | Smack Down (13) and Outrage (110) |
| Shadow Tyrantrum | Rock Throw / Dragon Tail / Charm | Earthquake / Stone Edge / Meteor Beam / Rock Tomb / Crunch / Outrage | - | Charm (20) and Earthquake / Meteor Beam (140) |
| Shadow Swampert | Mud Shot / Water Gun | Sludge / Sludge Wave / Earthquake / Surf / Muddy Water | Hydro Cannon | Water Gun (5) and Earthquake (140) |
| Shadow Kingler | Metal Claw / Bubble | Vise Grip / X-Scissor / Water Pulse / Crabhammer / Razor Shell | Mud Shot | Bubble (10) and Crabhammer (85) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Tyranitar | Iron Tail / Dragon Breath / Bite | Stone Edge / Fire Blast / Crunch / Brutal Swing | Smack Down | Iron Tail (14) and Fire Blast (140) |
| Mega Latios | Zen Headbutt / Dragon Breath | Aura Sphere / Solar Beam / Psychic / Dragon Claw | Luster Purge | Zen Headbutt (11) and Solar Beam (180) |
| Mega Aerodactyl | Rock Throw / Steel Wing / Dragon Breath / Bite | Hyper Beam / Earth Power / Ancient Power / Rock Slide / Iron Head | - | Steel Wing (14) and Hyper Beam (150) |
| Mega Gyarados | Waterfall / Dragon Breath / Bite | Hydro Pump / Outrage / Twister / Crunch | Dragon Tail / Aqua Tail / Dragon Pulse | Dragon Tail (14) and Hydro Pump (135) |
| Mega Heracross | Counter / Struggle Bug | Close Combat / Upper Hand / Earthquake / Rock Blast / Megahorn | - | Struggle Bug (15) and Earthquake (140) |
| Mega Rayquaza | Air Slash / Dragon Tail | Aerial Ace / Dragon Ascent / Ancient Power / Outrage | Hurricane / Breaking Swipe | Dragon Tail (14) and Dragon Ascent (140) |
| Mega Blastoise | Rollout / Water Gun / Bite | Skull Bash / Flash Cannon / Hydro Pump / Ice Beam | Hydro Cannon | Rollout (15) and Hydro Pump (135) |
| Mega Diancie | Tackle / Rock Throw | Rock Slide / Power Gem / Moonblast | - | Rock Throw (13) and Moonblast (130) |
| Mega Swampert | Mud Shot / Water Gun | Sludge / Sludge Wave / Earthquake / Surf / Muddy Water | Hydro Cannon | Water Gun (5) and Earthquake (140) |
| Mega Garchomp | Mud Shot / Dragon Tail | Earthquake / Sand Tomb / Fire Blast / Outrage / Breaking Swipe | Earth Power | Dragon Tail (14) and Fire Blast / Earthquake(140) |
| 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 (13) and Close Combat (105) |
| Mega Blaziken | Counter / Fire Spin | Focus Blast / Brave Bird / Overheat / Blaze Kick | Stone Edge / Blast Burn | Counter / Fire Spin (13) and Overheat (160) |
Moves & Threats
Houndoom common fast moves are Fire Fang or Snarl. Charged moves include Fire Blast or Flamethrower or Crunch or Foul Play.
Pro tip: Mega Houndoom hits extremely hard with Flamethrower—avoid using fragile Fire-types. Multi-bar Water and Fighting moves deal consistent damage safely.
Weather Effects
Cloudy weather to boosts Fighting type counters.
Partly Cloudy weather to boosts Rock type counters.
Rainy weather to boosts Water type counters.
Sunny weather to boosts Ground type counters.
Battle Tips
- Start with Water-types to reduce Fire impact.
- Rotate Rock and Fighting counters to avoid Fire Blast damage spikes
- Keep shields ready for Foul Play or Flamethrower.
Rewards
- Mega Energy for Houndoom
- Chance to catch Houndoom (with boosted IVs)
- Rare Candy & XL Candy
Why Raid Mega Houndoom?
Mega Houndoom is a high-risk, high-reward raid boss, ideal for trainers looking to refine dual-type counter strategies.
FAQ
Can Mega Houndoom be shiny in Pokémon GO?
Shiny Houndoom has been released in raids or events.
What are best moveset of Houndoom?
Best moveset of Houndoom are Fire Fang which does damage of 13 under Fast Attack and Fire Blast of 140 under Charged Attack.
Are Shadow Pokémon better?
Yes—Shadow forms have +20% attack, making them excellent choices if available.
What is the best weather to raid Mega Houndoom?
Cloudy weather to boosts Fighting type counters, Partly Cloudy weather to boosts Rock type counters, Rainy weather to boosts Water type counters, Sunny weather to boosts Ground type counters.
Does Mega Houndoom keep its Mega form after the battle?
Mega Evolution lasts only during battles where Mega is enabled; it does not persist outside combat.
Related Guides
Looking for more counters? Check out our Gigantamax Hatterene Raid Guide, Gigantamax Alcremie Raid Guide, Gigantamax Machamp Raid Guide
Summary
- Lead with strong Water or Rock Pokémon
- Use Fighting-types for Dark coverage
- Avoid Fire and Grass-types—they take heavy damage
- Save shields for multi-bar charged attacks
- Use weather boosts (Rainy for Water, Cloudy for Fighting) to gain an edge