Quick facts
Species: Pinsir (Mega)
Types: Bug
Primary weaknesses: Flying, Rock, Fire
Recommended lobby: 3–7 trainers
Mega Pinsir charges into raids with raw power and devastating horns. Known for its high Attack stat and crushing Bug/Flying moves, this guide will help you understand its weaknesses, plan counters, and master the fight against this mighty insect titan.
Table of Contents
Weakness Best Pokemon Regular Counters Shadow Counters Mega Counters Moveset Weather Effects Size Rewards FAQsWeaknesses & resistances
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Weak to |
 Flying •
 Rock •
 Fire
|
| Resists to |
 Fighting •
 Ground •
 Grass
|
Best Mega Pinsir Counters
Mega-type Counters
- Garchomp: Dragon Tail and Earthquake or Fire Blast
- Charizard Y: Fire Spin / Overheat
- Tyranitar: Iron Tail / Fire Blast
- Blaziken: Counter or Fire Spin and Overheat
Shadow-type Counters
- Heatran: Fire Spin / Fire Blast
Legendary-type Counters
- Groudon: Dragon Tail / Solar Beam
- Dawn Wings Necrozma: Shadow Claw or Metal Claw and Moongeist Beam
Best Mega Evolutions
Recommended Megas to use against Mega Pinsir:
- Charizard X , Y – Fire boost
- Gengar – Ghost boost
- Garchomp – Ground boost
- Houndoom, Tyranitar, Absol – Dark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rayquaza | Air Slash / Dragon Tail | Aerial Ace / Dragon Ascent / Ancient Power / Outrage | Hurricane / Breaking Swipe | Dragon Tail (14) and Dragon Ascent (140) |
| White Kyurem | Dragon Breath / Steel Wing / Ice Fang | Blizzard / Ancient Power / Dragon Pulse / Focus Blast / Fusion Flare / Ice Burn | - | Steel Wing (14) and Focus Blast / Fusion Flare (140) |
| Incarnate Landorus | Mud Shot / Rock Throw | Focus Blast / Earth Power / Rock Slide / Outrage | - | Rock Throw (13) and Focus Blast (140) |
| Gigalith | Mud Slap / Smack Down | Superpower / Rock SLide / Heavy Slam / Solar Beam | Meteor Beam | Mud Slap (19) and Solar Beam (180) |
| Tyrantrum | Rock Throw / Dragon Tail / Charm | Earthquake / Stone Edge / Meteor Beam / Rock Tomb / Crunch / Outrage | - | Charm (20) and Earthquake / Meteor Beam (140) |
| Rampardos | Smack Down / Zen Headbutt | Rock Slide / Flamethrower / Outrage | - | Smack Down (13) and Outrage (110) |
| Terrakion | Double Kick / Smack Down / Zen Headbutt | Close Combat / Earthquake / Rock Slide | Sacred Sword | Smack Down (13) and Earthquake (140) |
| Rhyperior | Mud Slap / Smack Down | Skull Bash / Superpower / Earthquake / Stone Edge / Surf / Breaking Swipe | Rock Wrecker | Mud Slap (19) and Earthquake (140) |
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 Golem | Mud Slap / Mud Shot / Rock Throw | Stone Edge / Earthquake / Rock Blast / Ancient Power | - | Mud Slap (19) and Earthquake (140) |
| Shadow Rhyperior | Mud Slap / Smack Down | Skull Bash / Superpower / Earthquake / Stone Edge / Surf / Breaking Swipe | Rock Wrecker | Mud Slap (19) and Earthquake (140) |
| Shadow Rampardos | Smack Down / Zen Headbutt | Rock Slide / Flamethrower / Outrage | - | Smack Down (13) and Outrage (110) |
| Shadow 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) |
| Shadow Tyrantrum | Rock Throw / Dragon Tail / Charm | Earthquake / Stone Edge / Meteor Beam / Rock Tomb / Outrage / Crunch | - | Charm (20) and Earthquake / Meteor Beam (150) |
| Shadow Gigalith | Mud Slap / Smack Down | Superpower / Rock SLide / Heavy Slam / Solar Beam | Meteor Beam | Mud Slap (19) and Solar Beam (180) |
| Shadow Archeops | Wing Attack / Steel Wing | Dragon Claw / Ancient Power / Crunch | - | Steel Wing (14) and Ancient Power (140) |
| Shadow Salamence | Fire Fang / Dragon Tail / Bite | Fly / Fire Blast / Hydro Pump / Draco Meteor / Brutal Swing / Crunch | Outrage | Dragon Tail (14) and Draco Meteor (150) |
| Shadow Crustle | Smack Down / Fury Cutter | Rock Slide / Rock Blast / Rock Wrecker / X-Scissor | - | Smack Down (13) and Rock Wrecker (110) |
| Shadow Tyranitar | Iron Tail / Dragon Breath / Bite | Stone Edge / Fire Blast / Crunch / Brutal Swing | Smack Down | Iron Tail (14) and Fire Blast (140) |
| Shadow Chandelure | Hex / Fire Spin / Incinerate | Shadow Ball / Overheat / Flame Charge / Energy Ball | Poltergeist | Incinerate (32) and Overheat (160) |
| Shadow Darmanitan | Tackle / Fire Fang / Incinerate | Focus Blast / Rock Slide / Overheat / Psychic | - | Incinerate (32) and Overheat (160) |
| Shadow Alola Golem | Volt Switch / Rock Throw | Stone Edge / Wild Charge / Rock Blast | Rollout | Rollout (15) and Stone Edge (105) |
| Shadow Moltres | Wing Attack / Fire Spin | Ancient Power / Fire Blast / Heat Wave / Overheat | Sky Attack | Fire Spin (13) and Overheat (160) |
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 Charizard Y | Air Slash / Fire Spin | Dragon Claw / Fire Blast / Air Cutter / Overheat | Dragon Breath / Ember / Wing Attack / Flamethrower / Blast Burn | Fire Spin (13) and Overheat (160) |
| Mega Aggron | Smack Down / Iron Tail / Metal Sound / Dragon Tail | Stone Edge / Rock Tomb / Meteor Beam / Heavy Slam / Thunder | - | Iron Tail / Dragon Tail (14) and Meteor Beam (140) |
| Mega Salamence | Fire Fang / Dragon Tail / Bite | Fly / Fire Blast / Hydro Pump / Draco Meteor / Brutal Swing / Crunch | Outrage | Dragon Tail (14) and Draco Meteor (150) |
| Mega 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) |
| Mega Tyranitar | Iron Tail / Dragon Breath / Bite | Stone Edge / Fire Blast / Crunch / Brutal Swing | Smack Down | Iron Tail (14) and Fire Blast (140) |
| 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 Rayquaza | Air Slash / Dragon Tail | Aerial Ace / Dragon Ascent / Ancient Power / Outrage | Hurricane / Breaking Swipe | Dragon Tail (14) and Dragon Ascent (140) |
| Mega Diancie | Tackle / Rock Throw | Rock Slide / Power Gem / Moonblast | - | Rock Throw (13) and Moonblast (130) |
Moves & Threats
Pinsir common fast moves are Rock Smash or Bug Bite or Fury Cutter. Charged moves include Vise Grip or Close Combat or Superpower and X-Scissor. Elite moves include Submission.
Threat: Mega Pinsir’s Close Combat can shred shields, and X-Scissor hits multiple types for high damage.
Tip: Keep durable counters in the lead and watch out for charge move timing to preserve your team.
Weather Effects
Sunny weather : boosts Fire type attackers. Partly Cloudy weather : boosts Rock attackers.
Battle Tips
- Lead with Rock-types for super-effective hits.
- Avoid Grass-types – they take double damage.
- Coordinate shields for Close Combat to protect your high-DPS Pokémon.
Rewards
- Mega Energy for Pinsir
- Chance to catch Pinsir (with boosted IVs)
- Rare Candy & XL Candy
Why Raid Mega Pinsir?
Mega Pinsir raids are great for Mega Energy farming, Bug/Flying counter practice, and completing Pokédex entries.
PvP Relevance
While Pinsir isn’t top tier in PvP, it’s a fun spice pick. Mega Pinsir shines more in raids and PvE content.
FAQ
Can Mega Pinsir be shiny in Pokémon GO?
Yes. Shiny Pinsir has been released in raids or events.
What are best moveset of Pinsir?
Best movset of Pinsir are Rock Smash which does damage of 17 under Fast Attack and Close Combat of 105 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 Pinsir?
Partly Cloudy weather to boosts Rock types counters, Sunny weather to boosts Fire types counters.
What makes Mega Pinsir strong?
Its high attack, strong resistances, and Meteor Mash make it a top-tier raid and PvP option.
Conclusion
Mega Pinsir is the strongest Mega, but it’s easy to raid thanks to multiple weaknesses. It’s worth raiding for its shiny form, Mega Energy, and for filling your Mega Pokédex. With Dark, Fire, Ghost and Ground counters, you’ll defeat it with ease.
Related Guides
Looking for more counters? Check out our Gigantamax Hatterene Raid Guide, Gigantamax Alcremie Raid Guide, Gigantamax Machamp Raid Guide
Summary
- Lead with Rock or Fire Pokémon
- Shield against Close Combat
- Avoid Grass-types
- High-DPS Electric-types work if coordinated
- Utilize weather boosts for max damage