Quick facts
Species: Zacian (Legendary)
Types: Psychic / Steel
Primary weaknesses: Poison, Steel
Recommended lobby: 3–7 trainers
Zacian Raid Guide in Pokémon GO: Best Counters, Weaknesses, Movesets & Catch Tips
Zacian is a powerful Legendary Fairy-type Pokémon from the Galar region in Pokémon GO. It appears in Tier 5 raids in its Hero of Many Battles form and is one of the strongest Fairy-type attackers in the game. Because of its high attack stat and strong moves, Zacian can be a challenging raid boss if you do not bring the correct counters.
In this complete Zacian raid guide, you will learn about its weaknesses, best counters, movesets, weather boosts, CP ranges, recommended team setups, and battle strategies to defeat and catch Zacian efficiently.
Table of Contents
Weakness Best Pokemon Regular Counters Shadow Counters Mega Counters Moveset Weather Effects Size Rewards FAQsAlways use Golden Razz Berries and try to hit excellent curveball throws to increase your chances of catching Zacian.
Weaknesses & resistances
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Weak to |
 Poison •
 Steel
|
| Resists to |
 Dark •
 Dragon •
 Fighting
|
Best Zacian Counters
Ground-type Counters
- Garchomp: (Mud Shot / Earth Power)
- Excadrill: (Mud Slap / Scorching Sands)
- Swampert: Mud Shot / Earthquake)
Fire-type Counters
- Moltres: (Fire Spin / Overheat)
- Houndoom: (Fire Fang/ Flamethrower)
- Delphox: (Fire Spin / Blast Burn)
Steel-type Counters
- Zamazenta: (Metal Claw / Behemoth Bash)
- Dusk Mane Necrozma: (Metal Claw / Sunsteel Strike)
Best Mega Evolutions
Recommended Megas to use against Zacian:
- Charizard Y, Blaziken, Charizard X, Houndoom – Fire boost
- Garchomp, Swampert – Ground boost
Difficulty
While it’s not the bulkiest raid boss, its high attack stat means mistakes are punished quickly, especially if your team is made of fragile counters.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skeledirge | Hex / Incinerate / Bite | Shadow Ball / Flamethrower / Torch Song / Crunch / Disarming Voice | Blast Burn | Incinerate (32) and Blast Burn (120) |
| Victini | Quick Attack / Confusion | Overheat / Focus Blast / V-create / Psychic / Psyshock | - | Confusion (19) and Overheat (160) |
| Zamazenta | Metal Claw / Ice Fang | Moon Blast / Close Combat / Giga Impact / Behemoth Bash | - | Ice Fang (12) and Giga Impact (200) |
| Chandelure | Hex / Fire Spin / Incinerate | Shadow Ball / Overheat / Flame Charge / Energy Ball | Poltergeist | Incinerate (32) and Overheat (160) |
| Dusk Mane Necrozma | Shadow Claw / Metal Claw / Psycho Cut | Dark Pulse / Iron Head / Future Sight / Outrage / Sunsteel Strike | - | Shadow Claw / Metal Claw (6) and Sunsteel Strike (230) |
| Reshiram | Fire Fang / Dragon Breath | Stone Edge / Overheat / Draco Meteor / Crunch | Fusion Flare | Fire Fang (13) and Overheat (160) |
| Delphox | Scratch / Fire Spin / Zen Headbutt | Flamethrower / Flame Charge / Fire Blast / Mystical Fire / Psychic / Payback | Blast Burn | Fire Spin (13) and Fire Blast (140) |
| Primal Groudon | Mud Shot / Dragon Tail | Earthquake / Fire Blast / Solar Beam | Precipice Blades / Fire Punch | Dragon Tail (14) and Solar Beam (180) |
| Moltres | Wing Attack / Fire Spin | Ancient Power / Fire Blast / Heat Wave / Overheat | Sky Attack | Fire Spin (13) and Overheat (160) |
| Volcarona | Bug Bite / Fire Spin | Hurricane / Bug Buzz / Overheat / Solar Beam | - | Fire Spin (13) and Solar Beam (180) |
| Blacephalon | Astonish / Incinerate | Shadow Ball / Mystical Fire / Overheat | - | Incinerate (32) and Overheat (160) |
| Heatran | Bug Bite / Fire Spin | Earth Power / Stone Edge / Iron Head / Fire Blast / Flamethrower | Magma Storm | Fire Spin (13) and Fire Blast (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 Garchomp | Mud Shot / Dragon Tail | Earthquake / Sand Tomb / Fire Blast / Outrage / Breaking Swipe | Earth Power | Dragon Tail (14) and Fire Blast / Earthquake(140) |
| Shadow Groudon | Mud Shot / Dragon Tail | Earthquake / Fire Blast / Solar Beam | Precipice Blades / Fire Punch | Dragon Tail (14) and Solar Beam (180) |
| Shadow Chandelure | Hex / Fire Spin / Incinerate | Shadow Ball / Overheat / Flame Charge / Energy Ball | Poltergeist | Incinerate (32) and Overheat (160) |
| Shadow Heatran | Bug Bite / Fire Spin | Earth Power / Stone Edge / Iron Head / Fire Blast / Flamethrower | Magma Storm | Fire Spin (13) and Fire Blast (140) |
| Shadow Moltres | Wing Attack / Fire Spin | Ancient Power / Fire Blast / Heat Wave / Overheat | Sky Attack | Fire Spin (13) and Overheat (160) |
| Shadow Ho-Oh | Hidden Power / Steel Wing / Incinerate / Extrasensory | Brave Bird / Fire Blast / Solar Beam | Earthquake / Sacred Fire | Incinerate (32) and Solar Beam (180) |
| Shadow Entei | Fire Spin / Fire Fang | Scorching Sands / Iron Head / Flamethrower / Fire Blast / Overheat / Flame Charge | - | Fire Spin / Fire Fang (13) and Overheat (160) |
| Shadow Charizard | Air Slash / Fire Spin | Air Cutter / Fire Blast / Overheat / Dragon Claw | Wing Attack / Ember / Dragon Breath / Blast Burn / Flamethrower | Fire Spin (13) and Overheat (160) |
| Shadow Excadrill | Mud Slap / Mud Shot / Metal Claw | Earthquake / Drill Run / Scorching Sands / Rock Slide / Iron Head | - | 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 Charizard X | 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 Swampert | Mud Shot / Water Gun | Sludge Wave / Sludge / Earthquake / Surf / Muddy Water | Hydro Cannon | Water Gun (5) and Earthquake (140) |
| Mega Houndoom | Fire Fang / Snarl | Fire Blast / Flamethrower / Crunch / Foul Play | - | Fire Fang (13) and Fire Blast (140) |
| 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 Blaziken | Counter / Fire Spin | Focus Blast / Brave Bird / Overheat / Blaze Kick | Stone Edge / Blast Burn | Counter / Fire Spin (13) and Overheat (160) |
| 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) |
Moves & Threats
Zacian common fast moves are Metal Claw or Air Slash. Charged moves include Play Rough or Close Combat or Giga Impact and Behemoth Blade.
Dangerous Moves: Behemoth Blade and Close Combat deal massive damage and can quickly wipe teams.
Zacian can hit very hard with Close Combat and Play Rough, so be prepared to dodge if you are using fragile counters.
Best Team Compositions
Small Group (3–4 Trainers)
With strong Steel- or Poison-type counters and at least one Mega Pokémon, Zacian can be defeated by 3 to 4 high-level trainers.
Medium Group (5–7 Trainers)
A group of 5 to 7 trainers with decent counters should have no problem defeating Zacian.
Large Group (8+ Trainers)
Zacian becomes very easy with a large group, but try not to overfill the lobby to save raid passes.
Best Team Compositions
Small Group (3–4 Trainers)
With strong Steel- or Poison-type counters and at least one Mega Pokémon, Zacian can be defeated by 3 to 4 high-level trainers.
Medium Group (5–7 Trainers)
A group of 5 to 7 trainers with decent counters should have no problem defeating Zacian.
Large Group (8+ Trainers)
Zacian becomes very easy with a large group, but try not to overfill the lobby to save raid passes.
Weather Boost Effects
- Cloudy weather: Boosts Zacian’s Fairy-type moves and also boosts your Poison-type counters
- Snowy weather: Boosts Steel-type counters
Snowy weather is best for fighting Zacian because it boosts your Steel-type attackers without boosting Zacian’s own damage.
Recommended Teams
Optimized Team
- Primal Groudon
- Mega Blaziken
- Reshiram
- Landorus (Therian)
- Groudon
- Chandelure
Budget Team
- Excadrill
- Garchomp
- Rhyperior
- Darmanitan
- Chandelure
- Blaziken
Battle Tips and Strategy
- Use Steel-type Pokémon if possible, as they resist Fairy moves.
- Poison-types deal strong damage but are usually more fragile.
- Dodge charged moves like Close Combat to keep your best attackers alive longer.
- Use Mega evolutions to boost your team’s damage.
- Rejoin the battle quickly if your team faints.
Shiny Zacian
Shiny Zacian has been released in Pokémon GO during special events. The shiny version has a distinct color scheme and is highly valuable for collectors.
Rewards
- Mega Energy for Zacian
- Chance to catch Zacian (with boosted IVs)
- Rare Candy & XL Candy
Why Raid Zacian?
It has a highly sought-after shiny form. It is one of the strongest Fairy-type attackers in Pokémon GO. It’s a fan-favorite Legendary from the Galar region.
FAQ
Can Zacian be shiny in Pokémon GO?
Shiny Zacian is available.
What are best moveset of Zacian?
Best moveset of Zacian are Ice Fang which does damage of 12 under Fast Attack and Giga Impact of 200 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 Zacian?
Snow weather to boosts Steel type moves, Cloudy weather to boosts Poison type moves
Does Zacian keep its Mega form after the battle?
Mega Evolution lasts only during battles where Mega is enabled; it does not persist outside combat.
Conclusion
Zacian is a powerful Legendary Pokémon and an excellent addition to any trainer’s collection. Prepare strong Steel- and Poison-type counters, use Mega evolutions, and take advantage of favorable weather to defeat and catch Zacian efficiently.
Related Guides
Looking for more counters? Check out our Mega Charizard Y Raid Guide, Mega Blaziken Raid Guide, Mega Garchomp Raid Guide
Summary
- Focus on Steel-type Pokémon for best performance.
- Avoid Dragons and Fighters—they take super effective Fairy damage.
- Keep your team bulky and consistent rather than glassy.
- The raid becomes easy with good preparation.