Quick facts
Species: Salamence (Mega)
Types: Dragon / Flying
Primary weaknesses: Rock, Ice, Dragon, Fairy
Recommended lobby: 3–7 trainers
Mega Salamence dominates the battlefield with its Dragon/Flying typing, impressive stats, and high DPS. Known as the Sky Tyrant, this raid boss can tear through teams quickly if unprepared. This guide helps you understand its strengths, counter its moves, and secure your victory.
Table of Contents
Weakness Best Pokemon Regular Counters Shadow Counters Mega Counters Moveset Weather Effects Size Rewards FAQsWeaknesses & resistances
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Weak to |
 Rock •
 Ice •
 Dragon •
 Fairy
|
| Resists to |
 Fighting •
 Ground •
 Bug •
 Water •
 Fire •
 Grass
|
Best Mega Salamence Counters
Fighting-type Counters
- Conkeldurr : Counter or Poison Jab and Focus Blast
- Lucario : Counter and Close Combat
- Machamp: Counter or Close Combat and Stone Edge
Grass-type Counters
- Shaymin: Magical Leaf and Solar Beam
- Sceptile: Bullet Seed and Earthquake
- Venusaur: Razor Leaf and Solar Beam
Electric-type Counters
- Zekrom: Charge Beam and Fusion Bolt
- Zapdos: Charge Beam and Zap Cannon
- Xurkitree: Thunder Shock or Spark and Thunder or Dazzling Gleam
Best Mega Evolutions
Recommended Megas to use against Mega Salamence:
- Lucario, Blaziken – Fighting boost
- Manectric, Ampharos – Electric boost
- Venusaur, Sceptile – Grass boost
- Heracross, Pinsir – Bug boost
- Gardevoir – Fairy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| Black Kyurem | Shadow Claw / Dragon Tail | Stone Edge / Blizzard / Iron Head / Outrage / Fusion Bolt / Freeze Shock | - | Dragon Tail (14) and Freeze Shock (160) |
| Eternatus | Poison Jab / Dragon Tail | Flamethrower / Dragon Pulse / Sludge Bomb | Dynamax Cannon | Dragon Tail (14) and Dynamax Cannon (215) |
| Baxcalibur | Ice Fang / Dragon Breath | Avalanche / Blizzard / Icy Wind / Dragon Claw / Outrage | - | Ice Fang (12) and Blizzard (130) |
| Cetitan | Tackle / Ice Shard / Powder Snow | Body Slam / Superpower / Heavy Slam / Avalanche / Icicle Spear | - | Ice Shard (10) and Superpower / Avalanche (130) |
| Primal Kyogre | Waterfall | Hydro Pump / Surf / Thunder / Blizzard / Avalanche | Origin Pulse | Waterfall (13) and Hydro Pump (135) |
| Glaceon | Ice Shard / Frost Breath | Avalanche / Ivy Wind / Ice Beam | Last Resort / Water Pulse | Frost Breath (11) and Ice Beam (95) |
| Mamoswine | Mud Slap / Powder Snow | Bulldoze / High Horsepower / Stone Edge / Avalanche / Icicle Spear | Ancient Power | Mud Slap (19) and High Horsepower / Stone Edge (105) |
| Mewtwo | Psycho Cut / Confusion | Focus Blast / Flamethrower / Thunderbolt / Psychic / Ice Beam | Hyper Beam / Shadow Ball / Psystrike | Confusion (19) and Hyper Beam (150) |
| Weavile | Ice Shard / Feint Attack / Snarl | Focus Blast / Avalanche / Triple Axel / Foul Play | - | Feint Attack / Snarl (11) and Focus Blast (140) |
| Galarian Darmanitan | Tackle / Ice Fang | Superpower / Overheat / Avalanche / Ice Punch | - | Ice Fang (12) and Overheat (160) |
| Zamazenta | Metal Claw / Ice Fang | Moon Blast / Close Combat / Giga Impact / Behemoth Bash | - | Ice Fang (12) and Giga Impact (200) |
| Aurorus | Rock Throw / Powder Snow / Frost Breath | Ancient Power / Meteor Beam / Hyper Beam / Weather Ball / Blizzard / Thunderbolt | - | Rock Throw (13) and Hyper Beam (150) |
| Avalugg | Ice Fang / Bite | Body Slam / Earthquake / Mirror Coat / Avalanche / Icy Wind / Crunch | - | Ice Fang (12) 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 Palkia | Dragon Breath / Dragon Tail | Fire Blast / Hydro Pump / Aqua Tail / Draco Meteor | - | Dragon Tail (14) and Draco Meteor (150) |
| Shadow Walrein | Waterfall / Frost Breath | Earthquake / Water Pulse / Blizzard | Powder Snow / Icicle Spear | Waterfall (13) 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 Aurorus | Rock Throw / Powder Snow / Frost Breath | Ancient Power / Meteor Beam / Hyper Beam / Weather Ball / Blizzard / Thunderbolt | - | Rock Throw (13) and Hyper Beam (150) |
| Shadow Articuno | Ice Shard / Frost Breath | Ancient Power / Icy Wind / Ice Beam / Triple Axel / Blizzard | Hurricane | Frost Breath (11) and Blizzard (130) |
| Shadow Mewtwo | Psycho Cut / Confusion | Focus Blast / Flamethrower / Thunderbolt / Psychic / Ice Beam | Hyper Beam / Shadow Ball / Psystrike | Confusion (19) and Hyper Beam (150) |
| Shadow Weavile | Ice Shard / Feint Attack / Snarl | Focus Blast / Avalanche / Triple Axel / Foul Play | - | Feint Attack / Snarl (11) and Focus Blast (140) |
| Shadow Mamoswine | Mud Slap / Powder Snow | Bulldoze / High Horsepower / Stone Edge / Avalanche / Icicle Spear | Ancient Power | Mud Slap (19) and High Horsepower / Stone Edge (105) |
| Shadow Gardevoir | Magical Leaf / Charge Beam / Confusion / Charm | Shadow Ball / Psychic / Triple Axel / Dazzling Gleam | Synchronoise | Charm (20) and Shadow Ball / Dazzling Gleam (180) |
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 Abomasnow | Razor Leaf / Powder Snow / Leafage | Energy Ball / Weather Ball / Blizzard / Icy Wind / Outrage | - | Razor Leaf (13) and Blizzard (130) |
| Mega Diancie | Tackle / Rock Throw | Rock Slide / Power Gem / Moonblast | - | Rock Throw (13) and Moonblast (130) |
| Mega Rayquaza | Air Slash / Dragon Tail | Aerial Ace / Dragon Ascent / Ancient Power / Outrage | Hurricane / Breaking Swipe | Dragon Tail (14) and Dragon Ascent (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 Glalie | Rollout / Ice Shard / Frost Breath / Powder Snow | Shadow Ball / Gyro Ball / Avalanche | - | Rollout (15) and Shadow Ball (100) |
| 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 Gardevoir | Magical Leaf / Charge Beam / Confusion / Charm | Shadow Ball / Psychic / Triple Axel / Dazzling Gleam | Synchronoise | Charm (20) and Shadow Ball / Dazzling Gleam (180) |
Moves & Threats
Salamence common fast moves are Fire Fang or Dragon Tail or Bite. Charged moves include Fly or Fire Blast or Hydro Pump or Draco Meteor. Elite moves include Outrage.
Threat: Outrage and Draco Meteor hit extremely hard, especially for unshielded Pokémon.
Tip: Avoid Grass and Fighting types—they resist little here.
Weather Effects
Snow weather : boosts Ice moves.
Battle Tips
- Lead with Ice-type Pokémon for maximum damage.
- Watch for Outrage spam and save shields for key attacks.
- Mega Salamence’s Flying typing helps you avoid Ground attacks, so adjust counters accordingly.
Rewards
- Mega Energy for Salamence
- Chance to catch Salamence (with boosted IVs)
- Rare Candy & XL Candy
Why Raid Mega Salamence?
Mega Salamence raids are great for farming Mega Energy, practicing Dragon counters, and boosting your raid battle experience.
PvP Relevance
While Salamence isn’t top tier in PvP, it’s a fun spice pick. Mega Salamence shines more in raids and PvE content.
Tips for Trainers
- Dodge Hydro Pump and Crunch to extend battle time.
- Coordinate Mega boosts with your raid group.
- Raid during weather that benefits your counters.
FAQ
Can Mega Salamence be shiny in Pokémon GO?
Shiny Salamence has been released in raids or events.
What are best moveset of Salamence?
Best moveset of Salamence are Dragon Tail which does damage of 14 under Fast Attack and Draco Meteor of 150 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 Salamence?
Snow weather to boost Ice type counters.
Conclusion
Mega Salamence is not 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 Electric, Fighting, Bug, Fairy and Grass 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
- Use Ice-types for super-effective damage
- Fairy-types are excellent against Dragon moves
- Save shields for Outrage/Draco Meteor
- Focus on quick DPS, as Mega Salamence can overwhelm slow teams