Quick facts
Species: Tornadus (Legendary)
Types: Flying
Primary weaknesses: Rock, Electric, Ice
Recommended lobby: 3–7 trainers
Therian Tornadus is a Tier 5 Legendary raid boss in Pokémon GO with a pure Flying typing. It is one of the strongest Flying-type attackers in the game, but it has clear weaknesses that trainers can exploit.
Table of Contents
Weakness Best Pokemon Regular Counters Shadow Counters Mega Counters Moveset Weather Effects Size Rewards FAQsWeaknesses & resistances
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Weak to |
 Rock •
 Electric •
 Ice
|
| Resists to |
 Fighting •
 Ground •
 Grass •
 Bug
|
Best Tornadus Counters
Rock-type Counters
- Tyranitar : (Smack Down / Stone Edge)
- Alolan Golem : (Rollout)
- Gigalith: (Smack Down / Meteor Beam)
Ice-type Counters
- Zamazenta: (Ice Fang)
- Kyogre: (Avalanche)
- Black Kyurem: (Freeze Shock)
Electric-type Counters
- Raikou: (Thunder Shock / Wild Charge)
- Mewtwo: (Thunderbolt)
- Luxray: (Spark / Wild Charge)
Best Mega Evolutions
Recommended Megas to use against tornadus:
- Diancie, Tyranitar – Rock boost
- Rayquaza – Dragon boost
- Rayquaza – Flying boost
- Manectric, Ampharos – Electric boost
Difficulty
Even a group of 5–6 trainers must coordinate shields and rotate counters carefully. Lightning-fast attacks can overwhelm unshielded Pokémon, so preparation is key.
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) |
| Regieleki | Lock-On / Thunder Shock / Volt Switch | Hyper Beam / Thunder / Zap Cannon | Thunder Cage | Volt Switch (13) and Thunder Cage (220) |
| Xurkitree | Thunder Shock / Spark | Power Whip / Discharge / Thunder / Dazzling Gleam | - | Thunder Shock / Spark (4) and Thunder / Dazzling Gleam (100) |
| Thundurus | Bite / Volt Switch | Focus Blast / Sludge Wave / Thunder / Thunderbolt | Wildbolt Storm | Volt Switch (13) and Wildbolt Storm (150) |
| Zekrom | Charge Beam / Dragon Breath | Flash Cannon / Wild Charge / Outrage / Crunch | Fusion Bolt | Charge Beam (7) and Fusion Bolt (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) |
| Primal Kyogre | Waterfall | Hydro Pump / Surf / Thunder / Blizzard / Avalanche | Origin Pulse | Waterfall (13) and Hydro Pump (135) |
| Raikou | Thunder Shock / Volt Switch | Aura Sphere / Shadow Ball / Thunder / Thunderbolt / Wild Charge | - | Volt Switch (13) and Aura Sphere / Shadow Ball / Thunder (100) |
| Zacian | Metal Claw / Air Slash | Play Rough / Close Combat / Giga Impact / Behemoth Blade | - | Air Slash (12) and Giga Impact / Behemoth Blade (200) |
| Zamazenta | Metal Claw / Ice Fang | Moon Blast / Close Combat / Giga Impact / Behemoth Bash | - | Ice Fang (12) and Giga Impact (200) |
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 Mewtwo | Psycho Cut / Confusion | Focus Blast / Flamethrower / Thunderbolt / Psychic / Ice Beam | Hyper Beam / Shadow Ball / Psystrike | Confusion (19) and Hyper Beam (150) |
| Shadow Alolan Golem | Rock Throw / Volt Switch | Stone Edge / Rock Blast / Wild Charge | Rollout | Rock Throw / Volt Switch (13) and Stone Edge (105) |
| Shadow Luxray | Hidden Power / Spark / Snarl | Hyper Beam / Wild Charge / Crunch | Psychic Fangs | Hidden Power (15) and Hyper 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 Tyrantrum | Rock Throw / Dragon Tail / Charm | Earthquake / Stone Edge / Meteor Beam / Rock Tomb / Crunch / Outrage | - | Charm (20) and Earthquake / Meteor Beam (140) |
| Shadow Rampardos | Smack Down / Zen Headbutt | Rock Slide / Flamethrower / Outrage | - | Smack Down (13) and Outrage (110) |
| Shadow Magnezone | Metal Sound / Spark / Charge Beam / Volt Switch | Flash Cannon / Mirror Shot / Zap Cannon / Wild Charge | - | Volt Switch (13) and Zap Cannon (140) |
| Shadow Electivire | Low Kick / Thunder Shock | Thunder Punch / Thunder / Ice Punch / Wild Charge | Flamethrower | Low Kick (5) and Thunder (100) |
| Shadow Thundurus | Bite / Volt Switch | Focus Blast / Sludge Wave / Thunder / Thunderbolt | Wildbolt Storm | Volt Switch (13) and Wildbolt Storm (150) |
| Shadow Raikou | Thunder Shock / Volt Switch | Aura Sphere / Shadow Ball / Thunder / Thunderbolt / Wild Charge | - | Volt Switch (13) and Aura Sphere / Shadow Ball / Thunder (100) |
| Shadow Zapdos | Charge Beam | Drill Peck / Ancient Power / Zap Cannon / Thunderbolt / Thunder | Thunder Shock | Charge Beam (7) and Zap Cannon (140) |
| Shadow Rhyperior | Mud Slap / Smack Down | Skull Bash / Superpower / Earthquake / Stone Edge / Surf / Breaking Swipe | Rock Wrecker | Mud Slap (19) and Earthquake (140) |
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 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 Tyranitar | Iron Tail / Dragon Breath / Bite | Stone Edge / Fire Blast / Crunch / Brutal Swing | Smack Down | Iron Tail (14) and Fire Blast (140) |
| Mega Manectric | Charge Beam / Thunder Fang / Snarl | Flame Burst / Overheat / Thunder / Wild Charge / Psychic Fangs | - | Snarl (11) and Overheat (160) |
| 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 Ampharos | Charge Beam / Volt Switch | Focus Blast / Power Gem / Trailblaze / Zap Cannon / Thunder / Thunder Punch / Brutal Swing | Dragon Pulse | Volt Switch (13) and Focus Blast / Zap Cannon (140) |
Moves & Threats
Tornadus common fast moves are Astonish or Gust. Charged moves include Heat Wave or Psychic or Hurricane or Focus Blast. Elite move include Bleakwind Storm
Dangerous Moves: Hurricane hits extremely hard, and Focus Blast can one-shot Rock and Ice types if not dodged.
Hurricane hits extremely hard and should be dodged when possible, especially if you are using Rock-type Pokémon.
Best Team Composition
A strong Tornadus raid team should include:
- 3–4 Rock-type attackers
- 1–2 Electric-type attackers
- 1 Ice-type backup Pokémon
Using Mega Diancie or Mega Aerodactyl will significantly boost Rock-type damage for all trainers in the raid.
Weather Boost
Tornadus is boosted in Windy weather, making it stronger and harder to defeat.
Your counters are boosted in:
- Partly Cloudy weather (Rock)
- Rainy weather (Electric)
- Snowy weather (Ice)
How Many Trainers Are Needed?
- 2 trainers: Possible with top Rock counters and Mega boost
- 3 trainers: Comfortable with good teams
- 4–5 trainers: Easy and safe clear
Recommended Teams
Optimized Team
- Mega Diancie
- Rhyperior
- Rampardos
- Terrakion
- Zekrom
- Mamoswine
Budget Team
- Rhyperior
- Tyranitar
- Rampardos
- Raikou
- Mamoswine
- Weavile
Catch Tips
- Use Golden Razz Berries for best catch chance
- Go for curve Excellent throws
- Wait until Tornadus finishes attacking before throwing
- Aim slightly above center because it floats
Battle Tips
- Rock-type Pokémon deal the highest damage
- Dodge Hurricane if your team is small
- Use Mega Pokémon to boost team damage
- Avoid Grass, Bug, and Fighting attackers
Rewards
- Chance to catch Shiny Tornadus (with boosted IVs)
- Rare Candy & XL Candy
Is Tornadus Worth Raiding?
Tornadus is not a top-tier attacker for raids, but it is useful for Pokédex completion and for players who want to collect all forms of the Forces of Nature trio.
FAQ
Can Tornadus be shiny in Pokémon GO?
Yes! Shiny Tornadus is available in Pokémon GO. The shiny version has a bright greenish hue
What are best moveset of Tornadus?
Best moveset of Tornadus are Air Slash which does damage of 12 under Fast Attack and Hyper Beam 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 Tornadus?
Rainy weather to boosts Electric type moves, Partly Cloudy weather to boosts Rock type moves, Snow weather to boosts Ice type moves.
Conclusion
Tornadus can be a dangerous raid boss due to its powerful Flying-type moves, but with strong Rock, Electric, and Ice-type counters, it can be defeated efficiently. Bring a Mega Rock-type Pokémon, build a proper team, and secure your Legendary catch.
Related Guides
Looking for more counters? Check out our Mega Diancie Raid Guide, Mega Rayquaza Raid Guide
Summary
- Deploy high-level Rock-type counters for best results.
- Avoid Flying-type Pokémon—they won’t exploit Tornadus’s weakness.
- Use shields strategically to block Hurricane.
- Adjust team composition based on group size and raid difficulty.
- Rotate counters to maintain consistent damage output.