Pokemon GO Deoxys raid guide (February 2023): Forms, best counters, weaknesses, and more

With the GO Tour for the Hoenn region on the horizon, trainers will soon have the opportunity to challenge the Mythical Pokemon from outer space, Deoxys, in Pokemon GO once again. This creature is one of the most unique throughout the franchise, thanks to its many different forms.

While Niantic's mobile game does not house a passive meteorite where players can take their Deoxys to change its form, it does give players a chance to challenge each of the four forms separately. While this may seem a bit unreasonable initially, Deoxys is not the only creature to have this limitation. Meloetta and Giratina are in a similar situation.

Nevertheless, players may want to know which of these forms is the best in Pokemon GO in terms of the different facets of gameplay that trainers can pursue. Knowing what team structure trainers should bring to this Raid Battle will help immeasurably as well.

So, what should players know about this unique Mythical Pokemon?

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the opinions of the writer

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Everything to know about each Deoxys form in Pokemon GO and how to counter them

Deoxys' standard form as it appears in Pokemon Generations (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Starting with the most basic form, Deoxys Normal is the most balanced of the four forms. Most players will opt to take this form into Raid Battles and Gym Sieges due to its high attacking power and average bulk.

Though Deoxys Normal may struggle in prolonged encounters in Pokemon GO's Battle League, it still sees much success there.

Deoxys Attack as it appears in Pokemon Generations (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Deoxys Attack, just as it sounds, is the standard form of Deoxys, but with its attack stat cranked to 11. This form also has a much more diverse moveset. It is the only form with access to Dark Pulse and Poison Jab.

This form is best used in Gym Sieges as it is even frailer than the standard form of the creature.

Deoxys Speed as it appears in Pokemon Generations (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Deoxys Speed is the black sheep of the crew. In the main series, Deoxys Speed is the form with the highest speed stat while also remaining a glass cannon.

However, since the speed stat does not exist in Pokemon GO, Niantic opted to make this form the embodiment of pure balance. Trainers should use it however they see fit, but it is more of a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none pick.

Deoxys Defense as it appears in Pokemon Generations (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Deoxys Defense, the big one, is the king of competitive play. Known for its amazing bulk, Deoxys Defense is the best suited of the crew for taking on the game's competitive Battle League. However, the sheer thickness of this wall makes it quite a pain to take down in Raid Battles.

Since each form shares the same typing, the tips for taking down these creatures in Raid Battles will mostly remain consistent. The only exception is Deoxys Defense, which will require a much larger team of players to take down, thanks to the game's timer on Raid Battles.

Regardless of form, Deoxys is weak to Dark, Bug, and Ghost-type creatures and moves in Pokemon GO. Dark-type Pocket Monsters are arguably the best counter to pure Psychics like Deoxys. They can deal super-effective damage while being practically immune to their Psychic-type attacks. The best choices for this fight are Darkrai, Hydreigon, and Hoopa Unbound.