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Shadow Ho-Oh made its first Pokemon GO appearance in June 2021, and it will soon appear in Shadow Raids on January 27-28, 2024. Trainers are already preparing to battle and capture it, but what kind of Pokemon will they be facing, and how do they counter it? How can its moveset be optimized after being caught, and is it any good in PvE or PvP battles? These questions will be on the minds of many players.
Fortunately, there are answers to all of these questions. Despite Pokemon GO's PvP and PvE game modes operating quite differently, countering Shadow Ho-Oh in battle and maximizing its battle capabilities can be taken care of without too much effort. Given its impending return, it's a good idea to examine it collectively in the PvE and PvP arenas.
Best PvP moveset for Shadow Ho-Oh in Pokemon GO
For optimal PvP results in GO Battle League, this is Ho-Oh's best moveset:
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- Fast Attack: Incinerate
- Charged Attack: Sacred Fire and Brave Bird
Incinerate is a five-turn Fire-type Fast Attack that deals 4.8 damage and generates 4 energy per turn. It's recommended to practice Charged Move timing to avoid ending up in an energy deficit due to Incinerate's elongated duration.
Sacred Fire will trigger the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) for Shadow Ho-Oh, dealing base damage of 156. Meanwhile, Brave Bird deals a whopping 156 damage, taking into consideration STAB.
Is Shadow Ho-Oh good in GO Battle League?
Thanks to its powerful Shadow Form damage buff and solid base Defense stat (244), Shadow Ho-Oh performs best as a closer in the Ultra and Master Leagues. It isn't the most durable closer, but it can finish off unshielded enemies with its hard-hitting Charged Moves. It also has some play in the Great League format, but the 1,500 CP cap limits its capabilities.
Best PvE moveset for Shadow Ho-Oh in Pokemon GO
For maximum damage in Pokemon GO PvE, you will want to outfit Shadow Ho-Oh with Incinerate as its Fast Attack and Brave Bird as its Charged Attack. This combination provides an output of 18.43 damage per second (DPS) and a 632.2 total damage overall (TDO) value.
You can further boost these damage numbers by using Shadow Ho-Oh in either sunny or windy weather, which improves its capabilities as a Fire/Flying-type Pokemon.
Is Shadow Ho-Oh good in PvE battles like gyms or raids?
Thanks to its quality base Attack stat (239) and its 20% damage boost from being a Shadow Pokemon, Shadow Ho-Oh is a high-end raid and gym attacker that can handle Bug- and Grass-type foes with ease. Access to Brave Bird also gives it some play against Fighting-type opponents.
You can use Sacred Fire as Shadow Ho-Oh's Charged Move in PvE, but it falls short as a Fire-type attacker compared to options like Shadow Moltres.
What moves can Shadow Ho-Oh learn in Pokemon GO?
Currently, Shadow Ho-Oh can learn the following Fast Moves in Pokemon GO:
- Steel Wing
- Extrasensory
- Incinerate
- Hidden Power
Meanwhile, it can learn these Charged Moves:
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Solar Beam
- Brave Bird
- Frustration (default as a Shadow Pokemon and will have to be removed before learning the others)
- Sacred Fire
Shadow Ho-Oh's weaknesses and resistances in Pokemon GO
As a Fire/Flying-type, Shadow Ho-Oh is weak to the following attack types:
- Rock (256% damage)
- Electric (160%)
- Water (160%)
It has resistance to the following move types and will take reduced damage from them:
- Bug (39.1%)
- Grass (39.1%)
- Fairy (62.5%)
- Fighting (62.5%)
- Fire (62.5%)
- Ground (62.5%)
- Steel (62.5%)
The enemy types that Shadow Ho-Oh can deal super effective damage to with its Fire and Flying-type STAB moves are:
- Bug
- Steel
- Grass
- Ice
- Fighting
Best counters to Shadow Ho-Oh in Pokemon GO
In Great League PvP, Shadow Ho-Oh's most troublesome counters are as follows:
- Bastiodon
- Lanturn
- Empoleon
- Clawitzer
- Togedemaru
- Shadow Magneton
- Probopass
Its toughest opponents in the Ultra League are:
- Probopass
- Clawitzer
- Shadow Feraligatr
- Kyogre
- Shadow Magnezone
- Galarian Stunfisk
Meanwhile, the critter's hardest counters in the Master League amount to:
- Landorus
- Shadow Alolan Golem
- Shadow Omastar
- Rhyperior
- Tyranitar
- Shadow Aggron
If you wish to take on Shadow Ho-Oh in raids or other PvE arenas, you can give these counters a try for optimal results:
- Shadow Rampardos with Smack Down and Rock Slide
- Shadow Rhyperior with Smack Down and Rock Wrecker
- Mega Diancie with Rock Throw and Rock Slide
- Mega Tyranitar with Smack Down and Stone Edge
- Mega Aerodactyl with Rock Throw and Rock Slide
- Tyrantrum with Rock Throw and Meteor Beam
In addition to Shadow Ho-Oh's upcoming Shadow Raids, there are plenty of events in Pokemon GO in January 2024 worth checking out as well.
