Introduction
Mega Pinsir is the Mega Evolution of Pinsir and appears as a Mega Raid Boss in Pokémon GO. When Pinsir Mega Evolves, it gains the Flying type in addition to its Bug typing, which changes both its strengths and weaknesses in battle.
While Mega Pinsir can deal strong damage with Bug and Flying-type moves, it has a major weakness to Rock-type attacks. This makes Pokémon with powerful Rock-type moves some of the most effective counters in this raid battle.
With the right team and strategy, Mega Pinsir can be defeated by a small group of trainers. This guide will help players understand Mega Pinsir’s weaknesses, recommended counters, raid strategies, and important information like catch CP and shiny availability.
Mega Pinsir Stats
| Type | Bug / Flying |
| Max CP | 4728 |
| Weather Boost | Rainy, Windy |
| Shiny | Yes |
| Base Attack | 305 |
| Base Defence | 231 |
| Base Stamina | 163 |
🧬 About Mega Pinsir in Pokémon GO
Mega Pinsir is a relatively offensive raid boss with powerful Bug and Flying-type moves. However, its double weakness to Rock-type attacks makes it vulnerable to several strong raid counters.
Mega Pinsir is useful because:
- It is one of the best Flying-type Mega Pokémon
- It boosts Bug-type and Flying-type Pokémon in raids
- It is excellent against Grass, Fighting, Bug, and Psychic-type raid bosses
⚠️ Mega Pinsir Weaknesses
Mega Pinsir is a Bug and Flying-type Pokémon. This combination results in several weaknesses that trainers can take advantage of.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| ❌ Double Weak To: |
 Rock
|
| ❌ Weak To: |
 Flying •
 Ice •
 Electric •
 Fire
|
| ✅ Resistant To: |
 Fighting •
 Bug •
 Grass
|
| 🚫 Immune To: |
 Ground
|
Notes: Rock-type Pokémon are the most effective counters because Mega Pinsir takes double damage from Rock attacks due to its dual typing.
Why Rock-Type Counters Dominate
Because of the double weakness, Rock-type attackers outperform even powerful Electric or Fire Pokémon. High-DPS Rock Pokémon can melt Mega Pinsir extremely quickly.
Even mid-tier Rock attackers often outperform top-tier Electric options in this specific raid.
🗡️ Best Counters for Mega Pinsir
The best way to defeat Mega Pinsir is to use strong Rock-type Pokémon because it has a double weakness to Rock-type moves.
🔥 Fire-Type Counters
- Chandelure: (Fire Spin / Overheat)
- Darmanitan: (Fire Fang)
- Moltres: (Fire Spin)
Fire Pokémon are effective against Bug typing but are not as strong as Rock attackers.
🪨 Rock-type Counters
- Diancie: (Rock Throw / Rock Slide)
- Rhyperior: (Smack Down + Rock Wrecker)
- Rampardos: (Smack Down / Rock Slide)
Mega Diancie is strong Rock-type DPS counters due to extremely high Rock-type DPS and Mega boost synergy for Rock attackers.
Rhyperior is one of the most reliable non-Mega counters. It combines strong Rock damage with excellent bulk, making it ideal for solo and duo attempts.
Rampardos offers extremely high DPS but low bulk. Best used in coordinated teams or glass-cannon strategies.
Rock-type Pokémon exploit Mega Pinsir’s double weakness, making them the fastest and most efficient option.
🕊️ Flying-type Counters
- Moltres: (Sky Attack)
- Salamence: (Fly)
- Rayquaza: (Air Slash / Dragon Ascent)
⚡Electric-type Counters
- Zekrom (Charge Beam + Wild Charge)
- Thundurus (Thunder Shock + Thunder)
Electric-type alternative. Strong but slightly slower than Rock specialists.
Thundurus provides strong Electric-type damage and can help exploit Mega Pinsir’s Flying typing.
Electric-types deal consistent super-effective damage and are safer against Flying-type moves.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rayquaza | Air Slash / Dragon Tail | Aerial Ace / Dragon Ascent / Ancient Power / Outrage | Hurricane / Breaking Swipe | Dragon Tail and Dragon Ascent | Dragon Ascent deals strong neutral Flying-type damage, and Rayquaza’s extremely high Attack stat allows it to output consistent DPS even without super-effective advantage. |
| Incarnate Landorus | Mud Shot / Rock Throw | Focus Blast / Earth Power / Rock Slide / Outrage | None | Rock Throw and Focus Blast | Rock Throw provides super-effective Rock damage against Mega Pinsir’s double Rock weakness, making it one of the fastest counters available. |
| Gigalith | Mud Slap / Smack Down | Superpower / Rock SLide / Heavy Slam / Solar Beam | Meteor Beam | Smack Down and Meteor Beam | Smack Down combined with Meteor Beam exploits the double Rock weakness, delivering heavy burst damage throughout the raid. |
| Tyrantrum | Rock Throw / Dragon Tail / Charm | Earthquake / Stone Edge / Meteor Beam / Rock Tomb / Crunch / Outrage | None | Rock Throw and Meteor Beam | Rock Throw and Meteor Beam hit Mega Pinsir for double super-effective damage, while Tyrantrum’s high Attack ensures strong DPS output. |
| Rampardos | Smack Down / Zen Headbutt | Rock Slide / Flamethrower / Outrage | None | Smack Down and Rock Slide | Rampardos has one of the highest Rock-type DPS outputs in the game, and Smack Down + Rock Slide quickly shreds Mega Pinsir due to its double Rock weakness. |
| Terrakion | Double Kick / Smack Down / Zen Headbutt | Close Combat / Earthquake / Rock Slide | Sacred Sword | Smack Down and Rock Slide | Smack Down provides strong Rock-type pressure, and Terrakion’s solid bulk allows it to survive longer while dealing super-effective damage. |
| Rhyperior | Mud Slap / Smack Down | Skull Bash / Superpower / Earthquake / Stone Edge / Surf / Breaking Swipe | Rock Wrecker | Smack Down and Rock Wrecker | Smack Down and Rock Wrecker take full advantage of the double Rock weakness, making Rhyperior one of the most reliable and consistent counters. |
| Blacephalon | Astonish / Incinerate | Shadow Ball / Mystical Fire / Overheat | Mind Blown | Incinerate and Overheat | Fire-type moves deal super-effective damage against Bug typing, and Blacephalon’s high Attack stat allows it to output strong burst 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 Golem | Mud Slap / Mud Shot / Rock Throw | Stone Edge / Earthquake / Rock Blast / Ancient Power | None | Rock Throw and Stone Edge | The Shadow boost increases Rock-type DPS by 20%, and its Rock moves exploit Mega Pinsir’s double weakness for extremely fast clears. |
| Shadow Rhyperior | Mud Slap / Smack Down | Skull Bash / Superpower / Earthquake / Stone Edge / Surf / Breaking Swipe | Rock Wrecker | Smack Down and Rock Wrecker | With the Shadow damage bonus and Rock Wrecker, it delivers massive double super-effective damage in a short time. |
| Shadow Rampardos | Smack Down / Zen Headbutt | Rock Slide / Flamethrower / Outrage | None | Smack Down and Rock Slide | The Shadow boost turns Rampardos into one of the highest Rock-type DPS options in the game, shredding Mega Pinsir rapidly. |
| Shadow Aerodactyl | Rock Throw / Steel Wing / Dragon Breath / Bite | Hyper Beam / Earth Power / Ancient Power / Rock Slide / Iron Head | None | Rock Throw and Rock Slide | Rock Throw and Rock Slide benefit from the Shadow attack boost and hit Mega Pinsir for double super-effective damage. |
| Shadow Tyrantrum | Rock Throw / Dragon Tail / Charm | Earthquake / Stone Edge / Meteor Beam / Rock Tomb / Outrage / Crunch | None | Rock Throw and Meteor Beam | Its boosted Rock-type attacks hit for double super-effective damage while the Shadow bonus significantly increases overall DPS. |
| Shadow Gigalith | Mud Slap / Smack Down | Superpower / Rock SLide / Heavy Slam / Solar Beam | Meteor Beam | Smack Down and Meteor Beam | Smack Down with Meteor Beam benefits from the Shadow multiplier, making it an extremely powerful Rock attacker. |
| Shadow Archeops | Wing Attack / Steel Wing | Dragon Claw / Ancient Power / Crunch | None | Steel Wing and Ancient Power | Ancient Power provides Rock-type coverage that hits Mega Pinsir’s double weakness, and the Shadow bonus increases burst damage. |
| Shadow Salamence | Fire Fang / Dragon Tail / Bite | Fly / Fire Blast / Hydro Pump / Draco Meteor / Brutal Swing / Crunch | Outrage | Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor | While mostly neutral damage, the Shadow boost and strong Dragon moves allow high raw DPS in larger raid groups. |
| Shadow Crustle | Smack Down / Fury Cutter | Rock Slide / Rock Blast / Rock Wrecker / X-Scissor | None | Smack Down and Rock Wrecker | Rock Wrecker combined with the Shadow boost deals very strong double super-effective Rock damage. |
| Shadow Tyranitar | Iron Tail / Dragon Breath / Bite | Stone Edge / Fire Blast / Crunch / Brutal Swing | Smack Down | Smack Down and Stone Edge | Smack Down and Stone Edge exploit the double Rock weakness, and the Shadow boost increases total damage output significantly. |
| Shadow Chandelure | Hex / Fire Spin / Incinerate | Shadow Ball / Overheat / Flame Charge / Energy Ball | Poltergeist | Incinerate and Overheat | Fire-type moves hit Bug typing for super-effective damage, and the Shadow boost increases burst potential. |
| Shadow Darmanitan | Tackle / Fire Fang / Incinerate | Focus Blast / Rock Slide / Overheat / Psychic | None | Incinerate and Overheat | Incinerate and Overheat deal super-effective Fire damage, and the Shadow bonus increases DPS considerably. |
| Shadow Alola Golem | Volt Switch / Rock Throw | Stone Edge / Wild Charge / Rock Blast | Rollout | Rock Throw and Stone Edge | Rock-type moves deal double super-effective damage, and the Shadow boost makes it one of the fastest Rock attackers. |
| Shadow Moltres | Wing Attack / Fire Spin | Ancient Power / Fire Blast / Heat Wave / Overheat | Sky Attack | Fire Spin and Overheat | Fire-type attacks hit Bug typing for super-effective damage, and the Shadow multiplier significantly boosts DPS. |
| Shadow Thundurus | Volt Switch / Bite | Sludge Wave / Focus Blast / Thunder / Thunderbolt | Wildbolt Storm | Volt Switch and Wildbolt Storm | Electric-type attacks hit Flying typing for super-effective damage, and the Shadow bonus increases overall damage output. |
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 Charizard Y | Air Slash / Fire Spin | Dragon Claw / Fire Blast / Air Cutter / Overheat | Dragon Breath / Ember / Wing Attack / Flamethrower / Blast Burn | Fire Spin and Overheat | Fire Spin and Overheat deal super-effective damage against Bug typing, and Mega Charizard Y boosts Fire-type teammates. |
| Mega Salamence | Fire Fang / Dragon Tail / Bite | Fly / Fire Blast / Hydro Pump / Draco Meteor / Brutal Swing / Crunch | Outrage | Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor | Provides a Flying-type team boost and delivers strong neutral Dragon damage with high overall stats. |
| Mega Blaziken | Counter / Fire Spin / Ember | Focus Blast / Aura Sphere / Brave Bird / Overheat / Blaze Kick | Stone Edge / Blast Burn | Counter / Fire Spin and Overheat | Overheat deals super-effective Fire damage against Bug typing while also boosting Fire-type teammates. |
| Mega Tyranitar | Iron Tail / Dragon Breath / Bite | Stone Edge / Fire Blast / Crunch / Brutal Swing | Smack Down | Smack Down and Stone Edge | Smack Down and Stone Edge exploit the double Rock weakness and provide a Rock-type team damage boost. |
| Mega Aerodactyl | Rock Throw / Steel Wing / Dragon Breath / Bite | Hyper Beam / Earth Power / Ancient Power / Rock Slide / Iron Head | None | Rock Throw and Rock Slide | Rock Throw and Rock Slide hit for double super-effective damage, and it boosts Rock-type teammates in raids. |
| Mega Rayquaza | Air Slash / Dragon Tail | Aerial Ace / Dragon Ascent / Ancient Power / Outrage | Hurricane / Breaking Swipe | Dragon Tail and Dragon Ascent | Dragon Ascent provides extremely high neutral DPS, and Mega Rayquaza boosts Flying-type attackers. |
| Mega Diancie | Tackle / Rock Throw | Rock Slide / Power Gem / Moonblast | None | Rock Throw and Rock Slide | Rock Throw and Rock Slide exploit the double Rock weakness, and Mega Diancie boosts Rock-type damage for the entire team. |
What Makes Mega Pinsir Tough?
Mega Pinsir deals considerable damage with its powerful combo of Bug and Flying moves, such as Bug Bite and Close Combat, and has enough bulk to outlast unprepared teams. Blindly using auto-recommended teams often leads to long battles or defeat because many Pokémon resist its typing.
🌀 Mega Pinsir Moveset
🗡️ Fast Moves
- Rock Smash
- Bug Bite
- Fury Cutter
💥 Charged Moves
- Vise Grip
- Close Combat
- Superpower
- X-Scissor
🔄 Elite Moves
- 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.
🎯 Catch CP & 100% IV
After defeating Mega Pinsir, you will catch a normal Pinsir.
CP Range:
- No Weather Boost: 2,295-2,389 CP
- Weather Boost: 2,869-2,987 CP
100% IV:
- 2389 (Normal)
- 2987 (Weather Boosted)
Use:
- Golden Razz Berry
- Curveball Excellent Throws
Weather boosted raids will result in higher CP Pokémon when captured.
🌦️ Weather Boost
Weather conditions can influence raid difficulty and CP levels.:
☀️ Sunny Weather
- Boosts Fire-type counters
⛅ Partly Cloudy Weather
- Boosts Rock-type counters
- Best weather condition for fastest clears
🌧️ Rainy Weather
- Boosts Pinsir Bug-type attacks.
- Boosts Electric-type counters
- Decent alternative
🌬️ Windy Weather
- Boosts Pinsir Flying-type moves
When Mega Pinsir is weather boosted, it becomes stronger during the raid but the captured Pokémon will appear at a higher CP level.
Solo Strategy (Expert Level)
Mega Pinsir is soloable under ideal conditions:
- Level 45+ trainer
- Maxed Rock-type team
- Partly Cloudy weather
- Mega boost active
Ideal Solo Team:
- Mega Diancie
- Rhyperior
- Rampardos
- Terrakion
- Shadow Tyranitar
- Rhyperior (second)
Dodging selectively may be necessary if facing Close Combat.
Duo Strategy
Duoing Mega Pinsir is very realistic with:
- Two trainers level 40+
- Strong Rock teams
- Mega boost coordination
Have one trainer lead Mega Rock for team boost. Relobby quickly if necessary.
Trio & Casual Group Strategy
With 3–4 trainers, Mega Pinsir becomes an easy clear even without perfect counters. Casual groups of 5+ will have no difficulty.
Budget Team for Beginners
- Rhydon
- Golem (Kanto)
- Aerodactyl
- Tyranitar
- Alolan Golem
- Magneton (Electric backup)
Even mid-level Rock Pokémon perform well due to the double weakness.
Shadow & Mega Optimization
Shadow Rock-types like Shadow Tyranitar significantly increase DPS. Mega boosting Rock types further amplifies group performance.
Relobby & Time Management
Relobby quickly if fainted. Avoid long healing delays. Prepare second preset team in advance.
Revive & Potion Cost
- Average revives used: 8–14
- Average potions used: 10–18
- Dodging significantly reduces resource usage
- Using Mega Pokémon reduces total relobbies
Recommended Teams
Optimized Team
- Mega Tyranitar (Smack Down + Stone Edge)
- Rampardos (Smack Down + Rock Slide)
- Rhyperior (Smack Down + Rock Wrecker)
- Shadow Tyranitar ( Smack Down + Stone Edge)
- Terrakion (Smack Down + Rock Slide)
- Reshiram (Fire Fang + Fusion Flare)
Budget Team
- Rhyperior (Smack Down + Rock Wrecker)
- Tyranitar ( Smack Down + Stone Edge)
- Gigalith
- Avalugg
- Moltres (Fire Spin + Sky Attack)
- Glaceon
Recommended Group Size
- 2 Trainers: Easy with strong Rock counters
- 3 Trainers: Very comfortable clear
- 4+ Trainers: Extremely safe
Thanks to its double weakness, Mega Pinsir is not one of the hardest Mega raids. Optimized Rock teams can defeat it quickly.
🧠 Best Strategy to Defeat Mega Pinsir
Prioritize Rock Damage
Build your team around high-DPS Rock Pokémon to exploit the double weakness.
Avoid Grass-Type Attackers
Mega Pinsir resists Grass-type moves, making them inefficient.
Use Mega Evolutions Wisely
Activating a Mega Rock Pokémon early boosts team-wide Rock damage and speeds up the raid.
Beginner Quick Checklist
- Use Rock-type attackers
- Avoid Ground-types
- Raid in Partly Cloudy weather
- Join with at least 3 trainers if unsure
Can Mega Pinsir Be Shiny in Pokémon GO?
Yes, trainers can encounter a Shiny Pinsir after defeating Mega Pinsir in a raid battle. While Mega Pinsir itself cannot be caught, players will encounter the regular Pinsir after the raid, which has a chance of being shiny.
Shiny Pinsir has a noticeable color difference compared to the normal version. Instead of the usual brown body, the shiny version appears with a lighter purple tone, making it highly desirable for collectors.
Participating in multiple Mega Pinsir raids increases the chances of encountering a shiny version, as shiny rates in raids are generally higher than normal wild encounters.
Evolution, Mega Details & Buddy Distance
| Evolution Line | Base(Pinsir) → Mega(Pinsir) |
| Mega Energy (First) | 200 |
| Subsequent Cost | 40 |
| Buddy Distance | 5 km |
| Mega Energy via Buddy | Yes |
| Mega Boost Bonus(Walking) | Extra Candy |
| Mega Boost Bonus(Catch) | Extra Bug/Flying Candy |
| Mega Boost Bonus(Buddy^) | 25 Mega Energy per candy |
Buddy Distance
5 km (per Pokémon GO buddy distance)
Tips to Catch Pinsir After Raid
- Use Golden Razz Berries
- Throw curveballs for increased catch rate
- Aim for Excellent throws
Using curveballs together with Golden Razz Berries provides the highest catch probability.
Shadow & Mega Comparison
Best Mega Evolutions
Using Mega Evolution Pokémon during the raid increases the damage output of other trainers using similar attack types.
- Diancie, Aerodactyl, Tyranitar – 🪨 Rock boost
- Rayquaza, Salamence – 🕊️ Flying boost
- Charizard Y, Blaziken, Salamence – 🔥 Fire boost
Mega Aerodactyl is particularly effective because it boosts Rock-type attacks for the entire raid group.
⚔️ Battle Tips
- Prioritize Rock-type attackers (double weakness).
- Dodge Close Combat to preserve bulkier counters.
- Partly Cloudy weather boosts Rock damage.
- Mega Evolve a Rock-type Pokémon for team boost.
🎁 Rewards
- Mega Energy for Pinsir
- Chance to catch Pinsir (with boosted IVs)
- Rare Candy & XL Candy
📌 Is Mega Pinsir Worth Raiding?
Pros:
- Strong Bug/Flying Mega boost
- Fast raid clears
- Shiny availability
Cons:
- Not a top-tier long-term raid Mega
- Limited PvP meta impact
Mega Pinsir is primarily valuable for Mega Energy farming and specific Bug-type team boosts.
Regular vs Shiny Mega Pinsir Forms
Instead of the usual brown body, the shiny version appears with a lighter purple tone.
Normal Pinsir
Shiny Pinsir
Mega Pinsir
Shiny Mega Pinsir
FAQ
Can Mega Pinsir be shiny in Pokémon GO?
Yes. Yes. Shiny Pinsir has been released in raids or events.
Can Mega Pinsir be soloed?
With maxed-out Rock-type counters and optimal dodging, it may be possible, but small groups are recommended.
What is the biggest threat?
Flying-type charge moves under Windy weather can deal significant damage.
Best Mega for support?
A Rock-type Mega evolution boosts overall team performance significantly.
🏁 Conclusion
Mega Pinsir is a manageable Mega Raid boss with a major double weakness to Rock-type moves. Focus on Rock counters for the fastest clear, use Electric or Fire as backup, and coordinate Mega boosts for efficient and smooth raid victories.
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