Nihilego Raid Guide – Best Counters, Weakness, CP & Strategy

Raid Boss Overview – Nihilego

Nihilego is a Rock/Poison Ultra Beast that appears in 5★ raids. It is known for:

• Very high special attack pressure
• Glass-cannon style (hits hard, but not very bulky)
• Unique typing that creates unusual matchups

Why Nihilego Matters

Strong PvE relevance

• Useful vs Flying, Fire, Bug, Ice raid bosses
• Can also function as a Poison-type attacker in niche cases

Important meta relevance

• Its Rock typing competes with top attackers like Rampardos and Rhyperior
• Its Poison typing gives it niche utility against Fairy-types

Ultra Beast value

• It is part of special events and raids
• Often needed for collection / Pokédex completion
• Sometimes boosted during events

Difficulty Level

Solo Difficulty: Very Hard / Not recommended

• Too much HP for solo clears
• Requires perfect counters + weather + high-level Pokémon

Duo Difficulty: Hard but possible

• Requires:
  • Maxed Rock or Steel attackers
  • Weather boost (Partly Cloudy or Sunny helps Rock damage)
• Mistakes can easily cause failure

Trio Difficulty: Moderate

• Comfortable clear with:
  • Good team composition
  • Proper counters (Rock, Steel, Ground)

4–6 Players: Easy

• Very manageable
• Fast clear times if counters are optimized

7+ Players: Very Easy

• Mostly a formality raid
• Even average teams can win comfortably

Difficulty Factors

What makes Nihilego dangerous:

• High special attack pressure
• Poison + Rock coverage hits many neutral targets
• Fast damage output

What makes it easier:

• Low bulk compared to tanky bosses
• Weak to:
  • Ground
  • Steel
  • Water
  • Psychic

Nihilego (Rock / Poison) – Moves Breakdown

Nihilego is a high-DPS glass cannon raid boss and niche PvP attacker. It hits very hard but is extremely fragile.

Fast Moves

Key Insight

• Poison Jab = standard choice everywhere
• Fast energy generation helps charged spam

Charged Moves

Best Charged Combo

• Sludge Wave + Rock Slide

Raid Boss Moves

These are the moves it uses as an Ultra Beast raid boss:

Most Dangerous Raid Move

Rock Slide

• Hits Flying, Fire, Ice counters hard
• Fast animation + decent damage
• Can punish common raid counters

Dangerous Move Ranking

PvP Move Summary

Best Moveset (PvP):

• Fast: Poison Jab
• Charged: Sludge Wave + Rock Slide

Strengths:

• Strong neutral pressure
• Good shield pressure with Sludge Wave

Weaknesses:

• Very fragile (glass cannon)
• Weak to Ground, Psychic, Steel

PvE / Raid Attacker Use

Best Raid Moveset

• Poison Jab + Sludge Wave

Use cases:

• Fairy raid bosses
• Grass-type raids
• Fighting-type raids

Limitations:

• Not top-tier DPS compared to meta attackers
• Outclassed by stronger Poison/Rock attackers

Nihilego Performance Guide

Nihilego is one of the most unique Pokémon in Pokémon GO because it behaves very differently in PvP vs PvE. It is a Glass Cannon Rock/Poison Ultra Beast with extremely high Attack but very low bulk.

PvE (Raids & Gym Attacking)

Role: Top-tier Rock attacker

• Nihilego shines the most in PvE.

Strengths

• One of the strongest Rock-type attackers in the game
• Excellent for Flying, Fire, Ice, and Bug-type raids
• Very high DPS due to Attack stat + Rock moves

Best Moveset

• Fast Move: Acid (Poison) / Poison Jab
• Charged Move: Power Gem (Rock) / Sludge Bomb

Raid Performance

• Excellent vs:
  • Flying bosses (Rayquaza-type targets)
  • Fire raid bosses
  • Bug types
• Weak bulk means it faints quickly, but damage output is huge

Verdict (PvE)

• Rock attacker tier: A+/S tier
• More of a “damage dealer before fainting” Pokémon

Gym Battles (Attacking & Defending)

Gym Attacker

• Works decently but not ideal
• High damage, but too fragile

Gym Defender

• Very poor defender
• Reasons:
  • Low HP + Defense
  • Weak to common types (Ground, Water, Psychic, Steel, etc.)
  • Gets knocked out very quickly

Verdict (Gyms)

• Attacker: Situational
• Defender: Not recommended

PvP Analysis

Key Issue

• Insane Attack
• Extremely low bulk
• Gets deleted by fast-charging Pokémon

Great League (≤1500 CP)

• Not viable
• CP too high to fit well
• Too glassy

Ultra League (≤2500 CP)

• Slightly better but still fragile
• Can surprise with heavy damage
• Loses to most meta tanks

Master League (No CP cap)

• Not meta
• Outclassed by legendaries and bulk monsters
• Cannot survive fast-charged attacks

Use in Special Cups

Possible Strong Cups

• Rock Cup → strong pick
• Poison Cup → good coverage
• Ultra Beast themed formats → very strong
• Limited metas with few Steel types → better value

Weak Cups

• Steel-heavy cups
• Ground-heavy metas
• Psychic meta cups

Nihilego Raid Strategy Guide

Quick Overview

• Type: Rock / Poison
• Weaknesses: Ground, Steel, Water, Psychic
• Key threat: Very high attack + fast poison damage
• Difficulty: High (glass cannon raid boss)

Important Reality Check

Can you SOLO Nihilego?

• In normal conditions: NO
• Even strong players struggle
• Exception: extreme weather boost + perfect counters + friendship boost + ideal moves

Beginner Strategy

Goal: Survive + contribute damage

Recommended lineup

• Any Ground types (Garchomp, Excadrill, Rhyperior)
• Any Steel types (Metagross)

Mistakes beginners make

• Using Grass / Fairy / Flying Pokémon
• Not dodging charged moves

Simple strategy

• Just tap fast moves
• Don’t worry about dodging too much
• Stay in group lobby

Intermediate Strategy

Goal: Efficient damage + fewer faintings

Best Pokémon choices

• Excadrill (Mud-Slap + Drill Run)
• Garchomp (Mud Shot + Earth Power)
• Metagross (Bullet Punch + Meteor Mash)

Strategy

• Dodge big charged moves only
• Keep fast energy gain attackers
• Rejoin quickly after fainting

Advanced Strategy

Goal: Fast win + optimized DPS

Core lineup

• Primal Groudon best
• Shadow Excadrill
• Shadow Garchomp
• Mega Metagross

Strategy

• Time dodges on:
  • Sludge Bomb (dangerous)
  • Rock Slide (fast pressure)
• Use Mega Pokémon for team boost:
  • Mega Steel or Mega Ground

Key focus

• Max DPS > survivability balance
• Weather boost advantage (Sunny / Cloudy)

Expert Strategy

Goal: Speed-run raid + minimum time clear

Perfect team setup

• Primal Groudon (leader boost)
• Shadow Excadrill squad
• Shadow Garchomp squad
• Optimal friendship bonuses (Best Friends + Attack boost)

Execution style

• No unnecessary dodging (only lethal charged moves)
• Pre-lobby optimized party order
• Instant re-lobby rejoin

Expert-level trick

• Stack Ground-type Megas to boost entire lobby DPS

Duo Strategy

Difficulty: VERY HARD

Requirements

• Both players must have:
  • Max-level Ground attackers
  • Weather boost preferred (Sunny)

Strategy

• One player runs Primal Groudon / Mega Swampert support
• Other runs pure DPS
• Dodge only heavy charged moves

Duo is possible only with:

• High-level counters
• Great friendship bonus
• Weather boost

Trio Strategy

Difficulty: HARD but stable

Ideal setup

• Player 1: Primal Groudon (boost)
• Player 2: Shadow Ground attackers
• Player 3: Mixed Ground + Steel

Strategy

• Rotate Mega boost if possible
• Balanced dodging (not full aggressive)
• Safer than duo, consistent win rate

Nihilego Raid Counter Guide

Why Nihilego Matters

Nihilego is a Rock / Poison Ultra Beast, which makes it:

• Very fragile to Ground-type attacks
• Moderately bulky due to raid stats
• Dangerous because it can hit back with strong Poison/Rock moves

Top Counters (Best Overall)

These are the highest DPS + safest picks:

• Primal Groudon dominates because:
  • Massive attack stat
  • Weather boost synergy (Sunny)
  • Tanky enough to survive long raids
• Shadow Groudon
  • Pure damage monster
  • Best non-mega DPS Ground attacker

Best Counters

• Easier to build
• Less reliant on shadow/mega forms
• Still strong enough for trio or 4-man raids

Counters by Type Strength

Ground-type

Why Ground dominates:

• Nihilego is 4× weak to Ground (Poison + Rock combo weakness impact)
• Ground moves hit both of its typings effectively

Why Ground dominates:

• Primal Groudon
• Shadow Groudon
• Excadrill
• Landorus

Steel-type

Why Steel works:

• Resists Poison attacks
• Deals solid neutral/high damage depending on moveset

Best Steel attackers:

• Metagross
• Excadrill
• Dialga

Psychic-type

Why it works:

• Super effective vs Poison type

Best Psychic attackers:

• Mewtwo
• Metagross
• Alakazam

Water-type

Why it works:

• Neutral damage only (not super effective)

Best Water attackers:

• Kyogre
• Swampert

Weak Counters (Avoid)

Pro Battle Strategy

Step 1: Lead With Mega

• Use:
  • Mega Garchomp or Mega Swampert (boost Ground DPS)

Step 2: Full Ground Team

• Prioritize:
  • Groudon line
  • Excadrill spam
  • Garchomp backup

Step 3: Dodge Smart

• Dodge charged moves like:
  • Power Gem (Rock)
  • Sludge Bomb (Poison)

Why These Work Well

• Raikou / Electivire:
  • Strong Electric damage
  • Easy to build teams
• Roserade / Zarude:
  • Grass-type attackers
  • Good balance of DPS + survivability
• Togekiss:
  • Fairy typing resists Dark moves
  • Safer option
• Machamp:
  • Budget-friendly Fighting counter

3. Counters by Type Strength

Now let’s break it down by type:

Electric-Type Counters

Examples

• Zekrom
• Xurkitree
• Raikou

Why Electric is Best

• Hits Water typing directly
• High DPS output
• Consistent performance

Recommended for all players

Grass-Type Counters

Examples

• Kartana
• Roserade
• Zarude

Why Grass Works

• Super effective vs Water
• Good sustainability

Slightly less DPS than Electric but safer

Fighting-Type Counters

Examples

• Lucario
• Conkeldurr
• Machamp

Why Fighting Works

• Hits Dark typing
• Strong neutral damage vs Water

Good alternative option

Fairy-Type Counters

Examples

• Togekiss
• Gardevoir

Why Fairy Works

• Resists Dark-type moves
• Provides stability

Lower DPS but high survivability

Bug-Type Counters

Examples

• Genesect
• Scizor

Why Bug Works

• Strong vs Dark typing
• Limited overall DPS

Only useful if lacking better options

4. What Counters to AVOID

Bad Choices

5. Counter Strategy Tips

General Strategy

• Prioritize:
  • Electric (best)
  • Grass (safe)

Advanced Tips

• Dodge Hydro Pump
• Use Mega Pokémon for boosts
• Build full teams of same type for synergy

Final Counter Summary

Shiny Comparison – Nihilego

Shiny Nihilego is one of the most visually distinct Ultra Beasts because it changes from a bright blue jelly-like Ultra Beast into a golden-orange glow variant.

Normal vs Shiny Appearance

Normal Nihilego:

• Body color: Bright translucent blue
• Bell shape: White/blue jelly dome
• Core glow: Pale cyan energy
• Overall feel: Cold, alien, aquatic

Shiny Nihilego:

• Body color: Golden-yellow / orange
• Bell shape: Warm amber tone
• Core glow: Bright orange energy
• Overall feel: Toxic amber “radiation-like” look

Key Visual Differences

Why Shiny Nihilego Feels Special

Extreme color contrast

• Blue → Orange shift is dramatic
• One of the most noticeable shiny swaps among Ultra Beasts

“Toxic energy” illusion

• Orange glow makes it look more dangerous
• Feels like a radioactive variant

Collector value

• Highly desired in raids/events
• Popular among shiny hunters due to visual uniqueness

Shiny Odds (Raids)

• Standard raid shiny rate: ~1 in 20 (approx.)
• Only available during specific raid rotations/events

Nihilego

Images are used for informational and educational purposes only. All rights belong to their respective owners.

Shiny Nihilego

Images are used for informational and educational purposes only. All rights belong to their respective owners.

Evolution & Buddy Distance – Nihilego

Does Nihilego evolve?

Nihilego is a Ultra Beast and has:

• No pre-evolution
• No evolution form
• No Mega Evolution

Buddy Distance for Nihilego:

20 km per 1 candy

Why Nihilego has 20 km distance

Because it is:

• An Ultra Beast (very rare category)
• High-value raid/collection Pokémon
• Not meant for easy farming

Best Use of Buddy System

Walk Nihilego if:

• You want XL candy grind
• You’re preparing for PvP or raids
• You don’t mind slow progress

Don’t rely on walking if:

• You need fast powering up
• You want immediate raid readiness

Best Mega Evolutions vs Nihilego

Nihilego is a Rock / Poison-type raid boss, which gives it key weaknesses:

• Steel (very strong counter)
• Water (neutral but useful support)
• Ground (NOT super effective here)
• Fighting (situational)

Mega Steel Boosters

Mega Metagross

• Boosts Steel-type damage massively
• Helps core counters like Metagross, Dialga, Excadrill
• Very tanky + high raid DPS support

Why it’s #1:

• Steel is Nihilego’s main weakness
• Mega boost + Steel resistance synergy

Mega Aggron

• Extremely tanky Mega
• Boosts Steel attackers
• Great for survivability-focused raids

Best for:

• Beginner groups
• Long, safe raids

High DPS Mega Option

Mega Lucario

• Boosts Fighting + Steel moves
• Very high damage output

Why it’s strong:

• Fighting is neutral
• Steel coverage helps team DPS
• Fast raid clears

Poison Boost Option

Mega Gengar

• Boosts Poison + Ghost attacks
• Very high DPS but fragile

Why use it:

• Nihilego is part Poison
• Helps Poison attackers like Roserade /Gengar

Risk:

• Very low defense → faints quickly

Water-Type Support

Mega Blastoise

• Boosts Water-type attackers
• Not super effective, but stable

Why it’s okay:

• Helps balanced raid teams
• Good for casual groups

Strategy Insight

Best Team Core

• Steel attackers (Metagross, Excadrill, Dialga)
• 1 Mega Steel booster active

Avoid:

• Grass types (not effective)
• Pure Poison teams (too fragile)

Boosted Candy from Catching Pokémon – How it helps Nihilego

When you catch Pokémon, you normally get 3–10 candies (plus bonuses). But there are ways to increase candy output significantly, which is very useful for powering up, evolving, and leveling up Pokémon like Nihilego.

What “Candy Boost” Means

Candy boost = getting more candies per catch or interaction. This helps you:

• Power up Pokémon faster
• Unlock second charge moves faster
• Build raid/PvP teams quicker

Main Ways to Boost Candy

Pinap Berry (MOST IMPORTANT)

Effect:

• Doubles candy from catch

Why it matters for Nihilego:

• Nihilego is a rare raid Ultra Beast
• You want maximum candy per encounter

Silver Pinap Berry

Effect:

• Gives extra candy + higher catch rate

Bonus:

• More reliable than normal Pinap
• Great for high-value raid bosses like Nihilego

Catch Bonus Streaks

Effect:

• Catching Pokémon daily increases bonus items over time

Mega Evolution Bonus

Effect:

• Bonus candy when catching same-type Pokémon

Example:

• If Mega evolves a Poison-type Pokémon, you may get extra candy for Poison types

Rare Candy

• Earned from raids, PvP, research
• Can be converted into Nihilego candy

Why Candy Boost Matters for Nihilego

Key Problem:

• Nihilego is:
  • Raid-only Ultra Beast
  • Not commonly available
  • Expensive to power up

Candy is needed for:

• Powering up for raids
• Building PvP Ultra League builds
• Unlocking max potential

Best Candy Strategy for Nihilego

During Raid Catch

• Use Silver Pinap (if available)
• Otherwise use Pinap Berry

After Raids

• Walk as buddy for extra candy
• Use Rare Candies wisely

Long-term

• Save XL Candy for max-level builds

Weaknesses – Nihilego

Type

• Rock / Poison

This is a very unusual combo that gives Nihilego high offensive power but poor defensive coverage.

Main Weaknesses

1. Ground (4× Weakness)

Why it’s dangerous:

• Ground is super effective against BOTH Rock and Poison
• This creates a double weakness multiplier

Result:

• Even average Ground attackers can destroy Nihilego quickly

Best Ground counters:

• Excadrill
• Groudon
• Garchomp

Steel-type attacks

Why it matters:

• Steel hits Rock hard
• Steel Pokémon are bulky → survive Nihilego’s attacks easily

Result:

• Steel is the most consistent counter type

Water-type attacks

Why:

• Rock typing is weak to Water

Result:

• Strong Water attackers can pressure Nihilego

Psychic-type vulnerability

Raid Impact

Why Nihilego feels fragile in raids:

• Ground attackers delete it very fast
• Steel teams consistently dominate it
• It has low defensive bulk for a legendary Ultra Beast

PvP Impact

What beats Nihilego easily:

• Ground-types (instant threat)
• Steel-types (safe counter)
• Strong Water attackers

What it beats:

• Fairy types (Poison advantage)
• Flying types (Rock advantage)

Resistances Guide – Nihilego

Nihilego is a Rock / Poison-type Ultra Beast, which gives it a very unusual defensive profile in raids and PvP. Understanding its resistances is important because it helps you decide:

• Which Pokémon it can comfortably tank
• Why some attacks feel “weaker than expected”

Type-Based Resistances

Rock Type Resistances

Nihilego resists:

• Normal
• Fire
• Flying
• Poison

Poison Type Resistances

Nihilego resists:

• Grass
• Fighting
• Poison
• Fairy

Double Resistance

Because Nihilego is Rock + Poison, some types are resisted twice in practice (strong defensive synergy feel):

• Strongly reduced impact:
  • Poison moves (resisted by both Rock + Poison interaction)
  • Fairy moves (Poison resistance + general matchup reduction feel)

What Nihilego is NOT weak to

Many players assume it’s weak to random types—but it is NOT:

• Not weak to Fire
• Not weak to Flying
• Not weak to Fairy

Conclusion – Nihilego

Nihilego is a high-value raid attacker and PvP niche pick, but not a universal powerhouse. It shines in specific roles, and performs best when used correctly rather than as a general-purpose Pokémon.

Overall Summary

Where Nihilego Excels

Raid Attacker (Rock DPS King)

• One of the strongest Rock-type attackers in Pokémon GO
• Excellent against:
  • Flying bosses
  • Fire bosses
  • Bug bosses

Poison-Type Utility

• Good Poison-type attacker
• Useful against:
  • Fairy raid bosses
  • Grass types

PvP Niche Use

• Strong in limited formats
• Can pressure Fairy and Flying types
• Works best as a surprise pick, not core meta

Where Nihilego Falls Short

Glass Cannon Problem

• Very low bulk
• Faints quickly in raids and PvP

Limited PvP Consistency

• Struggles in open Great/Ultra League
• Outclassed by more balanced Poison types

Fragile Raid Performance

• Even though DPS is high:
  • It often faints before maximizing damage

When You SHOULD Use Nihilego

Use it when:

• You need top-tier Rock DPS
• Fighting Flying/Fire raid bosses
• You want a Poison-type specialist

When You SHOULD NOT Use It

Skip Nihilego when:

• You need bulky raid attackers
• You want safe PvP consistency
• You prefer easy survivability Pokémon

Nihilego Catch CP (Raid Boss)

Catch CP Range

No Weather Boost

• CP range: 2010 – 2110

Weather Boost (Partly Cloudy / Cloudy)

Nihilego gets boosted in:

• Cloudy (Poison boost)
• Partly Cloudy (Rock boost)

Boosted CP range:

• CP range: 2513 – 2637

What Catch CP Means

Higher CP = stronger IV potential

• High CP Nihilego often means:
  • Better Attack IV chance
  • Stronger raid attacker potential

Perfect IV CP

• 100% IV (Perfect Nihilego):
  • ~2110 (non-boosted)
  • ~2637 (weather boosted)

Catch Difficulty Tips

Why Nihilego feels hard to catch:

• Ultra Beast animation delays
• High attack movement
• Frequent circle jumps

Best Catch Strategy

• Use Golden Razz every throw
• Wait for attack animation
• Throw Excellent Curveballs
• Use Circle Lock technique (advanced)

Weather Boost for Nihilego

What is Weather Boost?

Weather Boost is a game mechanic in Pokémon GO where certain weather conditions:

• Increase Pokémon spawn levels
• Boost their CP when encountered
• Make them slightly harder in raids
• Give extra Stardust when caught

For Nihilego, this is especially important because it is a Rock/Poison Ultra Beast with very high attack power.

Best Weather for Nihilego

Sunny / Clear Weather

Boosts:

• Poison-type moves (Sludge Bomb, Acid-type damage effects)

Effect:

• Nihilego becomes stronger offensively
• Raid boss hits harder if it has Poison moves
• Great for offensive use, but riskier to fight

Cloudy Weather

Boosts:

• Poison-type Pokémon (spawn + CP boost)

Effect:

• Higher-level Nihilego appears more often in raids/spawns
• You may encounter stronger raid bosses
• Catch CP is higher

Partly Cloudy Weather

Boosts:

• Rock-type moves

Effect:

• Nihilego’s Rock attacks become stronger
• Raid boss version becomes more dangerous offensively

No Direct Weather Advantage

• No weather directly boosts both Rock + Poison together
• So Nihilego never gets full dual boost at once

What Weather Boost Means in Raids

If Nihilego is Raid Boss:

• Weather boost = higher CP boss
• More HP pressure
• Stronger charged moves

Difficulty increase:

• Requires better counters
• Steel-types become more important

If YOU are catching Nihilego:

• Weather boosted raids = higher CP catch
• Better IV chances
• Slightly harder catch circle timing

Is Nihilego Worth Raiding?

Raid Value (PvE)

Rock-type attacker

• Nihilego is one of the strongest Rock attackers in Pokémon GO.

Strong against:

• Fire types
• Flying types
• Bug types
• Ice types

Best use:

• Rock-type raids (like Flying bosses)
• Raid DPS attacker when you don’t have Mega Tyranitar or Rampardos

Poison-type attacker

• Also usable as Poison DPS.

Good against::

• Fairy types
• Grass types

But:

• Outclassed by better Poison attackers in many cases

PvP Value

Not great in most PvP formats

Reasons:

• Too fragile (low bulk)
• Slow to reach charged moves
• Gets easily farmed down

Situational use:

• Limited cups where Rock/Poison is needed
• Surprise pick in niche metas

Who Should Raid Nihilego?

YES if you are:

• PvE player (raid attacker collector)
• Missing strong Rock attackers
• Wanting Ultra Beast collection
• Short-man raid enthusiast (DPS-focused)

NOT needed if you are:

• Casual player with Rampardos / Tyranitar already
• Low raid participation player
• PvP-only player

Personal Raid Experience – Nihilego

First Impression

When I first joined a Nihilego raid, it didn’t look like a typical “heavy boss.” It felt fast, aggressive, and surprisingly fragile-looking—but that was misleading. Despite its appearance, Nihilego hits very hard and very fast, especially with Poison-type pressure.

Raid Battle Feel

Early Battle Phase

At the start, the raid feels easy:

• Its HP drops quickly with strong Ground or Steel attackers
• Teams like Excadrill or Metagross melt it efficiently

Mid Battle Surprise

Then the difficulty becomes clear:

• Poison-type attacks start stacking damage
• Fast moves feel constant and unrelenting
• If your team is not optimized, fainting starts early

Pressure Moment

When Pokémon start fainting:

• Re-lobby timing becomes important
• Glass cannons drop too fast
• Some players lose DPS cycles completely

Best Counter Experience

From actual raid performance perspective, these stood out:

Steel Types

• Metagross
• Excadrill
• They survive longer
• Provide consistent DPS

Ground Types

• Garchomp
• Rhyperior
• Fast HP deletion
• But they faint quickly if unprepared

Ice & Others

• Not ideal here compared to Steel/Ground
• Used more as backups than main attackers

Common Mistakes I Noticed

• Using pure Ice teams
• Ignoring Steel counters
• Not rejoining fast enough after fainting
• Overestimating its fragility

Unique Insight – Nihilego

The “Fake Fragile Tank” Problem

At first glance, Nihilego looks like a glass cannon because:

• High Attack
• Rock/Poison typing
• Ultra Beast design

The Dual Role Identity

Nihilego is one of the few Pokémon that acts as:

Raid Attacker

• Strong Rock DPS
• Useful vs Flying, Fire, Ice

PvP “Debuff Control Pokémon”

• Uses fast pressure + chip damage
• Can force shields unexpectedly

Poison Typing Is Actually the Hidden Value

Most players ignore Poison typing—but Nihilego flips that:

Why Poison matters:

• Counters Fairy types
• Resists Fighting pressure indirectly via matchups
• Helps against charm users

Ultra Beast Energy Spike Effect

Ultra Beasts like Nihilego have a hidden gameplay pattern:

• High burst damage windows
• Fast momentum swings
• Punishes slow raid bosses

Rock-Type DPS Identity Crisis

Nihilego is:

• One of the best Rock attackers
• But often ignored because:
  • Rampardos outclasses it in pure DPS

Why It Feels Stronger Than It Looks

Players often underestimate it because:

• Weird typing
• Not a “classic meta Pokémon”
• No flashy legacy reputation

Hidden Meta Role

Nihilego quietly fills 3 roles:

• Anti-Fairy counter (Poison)
• Flying/Fire raid attacker (Rock)
• Budget Ultra Beast DPS option

FAQ – Nihilego

What is Nihilego?

Nihilego is a Rock/Poison Ultra Beast from Pokémon GO raids. It is known for its glass-cannon style: very high attack but low defense.

Is Nihilego good in raids?

Yes. Nihilego is a strong Rock-type attacker, especially against:

• Flying-type raid bosses
• Fire-type raid bosses
• Bug-type raid bosses

However, it is very fragile, so it faints quickly.

Is Nihilego good in PvP?

• Great League: Not recommended
• Ultra League: Niche use
• Master League: Not viable

It is mainly a PvE raid attacker, not a PvP Pokémon.

What are Nihilego’s weaknesses?

Nihilego is weak to:

• Ground
• Steel
• Water
• Psychic

Ground-type attacks deal extreme damage due to double weakness..

What are the best counters for Nihilego raids?

Top counters include:

• Excadrill (Mud-Slap + Earthquake)
• Groudon (Mud Shot + Precipice Blades)
• Garchomp (Mud Shot + Earth Power)
• Rhyperior (Mud-Slap + Earthquake)

Ground-types dominate this raid.

What is the best moveset for Nihilego?

• Fast Move: Acid / Poison Jab
• Charged Moves:
  • Rock Slide (main pressure move)
  • Sludge Bomb (Poison damage)

Is Nihilego shiny available?

Yes, Nihilego can be shiny during special raid events, but it is rare and event-limited.

How hard is Nihilego to beat?

• Solo: Impossible
• Duo: Very hard
• Trio: Possible with strong counters
• 4+ players: Easy

Common mistakes against Nihilego

• Using Flying types
• Ignoring Ground-type counters
• Not dodging Rock Slide

Simple Summary

• Strong raid attacker
• Weak in PvP
• Weak to Ground (double weakness)
• Best counter type: Ground types

Pokédex Entry – Nihilego

Classification

• Name: Nihilego
• Category: Parasite Pokémon
• Type: Rock / Poison
• Origin: Ultra Beast (from Ultra Space)

What is Nihilego?

Nihilego is a mysterious Ultra Beast that looks like a floating jellyfish made of glass-like material. It is not a normal Pokémon from Earth—it comes from another dimension called Ultra Space. It behaves like a parasitic lifeform, attaching itself to other creatures.

Biology & Appearance

• Looks like a transparent jellyfish
• Body made of thin, glass-like membranes
• Tentacles act like sensory and control organs
• Emits a glowing, almost hypnotic light

Behavior

• Does NOT directly attack like normal Pokémon
• Instead, it:
  • Attaches to hosts
  • Releases neurotoxic substances
  • Influences behavior of the host

Key Trait:

• It behaves like a parasitic symbiote, not a fighter.

Pokédex Highlights

• Said to appear during Ultra Wormhole openings
• Can merge with humans or Pokémon
• Causes strange behavior in affected hosts
• In some cases, it shows “protective” bonding—but still dangerous

Strengths in Battle

Typing Advantage:

• Strong vs:
  • Fairy
  • Flying
  • Fire
  • Bug

Why it is strong:

• High Special Defense
• Strong special poison attacks

Weaknesses

• Ground (very dangerous weakness)
• Steel
• Water (neutral pressure issue in battle)

Signature Traits

If used:

• High defensive stats
• Good PvP spice pick
• Not a top raid attacker

Common Moves:

• Poison Jab
• Acid
• Power Gem
• Sludge Wave

Competitive Role

PvP

• Niche pick in special cups
• Good vs Fairy-heavy metas

Raids

• Not a top-tier attacker
• Mostly collection Pokémon

Gyms

• Not used as defender