Pokemon GO Xerneas raid guide: Weaknesses, best counters, and more

The August five-star raid lineup in Pokemon GO is filled with top-tier Legendary Pokemon. Creatures, ranging from Cresselia, Xerneas, and Yveltal to Primal Kyogre and Groudon, will appear in raids this month. Xerneas and Yveltal are of utmost importance, especially for those interested in the GO Battle League, since they will have exclusive moves when caught in August.

After the initial reveal in Osaka and London during the Pokemon GO Fest 2023 event, the global player base will get access to Xerneas from August 16 to August 23 and from August 27 to September 1.

Many interested players would like to know the biggest weaknesses and the best counters for the Life Pokemon, Xerneas, in Pokemon GO. This guide will cover all of this information in detail.

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Xerneas weaknesses in Pokemon GO

Xerneas in Pokemon anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Xerneas is a pure Fairy-type Pokemon. Therefore it is weak to Poison and Steel-type Attacks. It is also an Attack-oriented critter and therefore has relatively frail defensive stats in retrospect.

Therefore, with the right counters, it is entirely possible to take it down with only two to three players. However, to be on the safe side, you should ideally have at least six to eight trainers when going up against the raid boss.

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Best counters to Xerneas in Pokemon GO

Best counters to Xerneas raid (Image via Sportskeeda)

The best counters to Xerneas are Steel-type and Poison-type Pocket Monsters with high Attack Stats. Keep in mind that Xerneas will hit back hard with its Fast Attacks (Tackle or Zen Headbutt) and Charged Attacks (Megahorn, Moonblast, Close Combat, Giga Impact, or Thunder).

Considering Xerneas's movesets and stats, the best counter to it is shadow Metagross with Fast Attack Bullet Punch and Charged Attack Meteor Mash.

If you don't have this critter, you can also take a combination of the following Pokemon to defeat Xerneas relatively easily:

• Nihiligo with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
• Dialga with Metal Claw and Iron Head
• Roserade with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
• Overqwil with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
• Jirachi with Charge Beam and Doom Desire

Additionally, having a Mega Evolved Pokemon of the type of attacks you plan to primarily use will give the moves a stat boost. This can go a long way in helping you take down Xerneas with the minimum number of raiders.

Some recommended critters to Mega Evolve for this raid are:

• Mega Scizor with Bullet Punch and Iron Head
• Mega Gengar with Hex and Sludge Bomb
• Mega Beedrill with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb

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More information about Xerneas raids in Pokemon GO

An interesting thing to note is that if you manage to catch Xerneas from raids in August, it will know the Legacy Fast Attack Geomancy.

Geomancy is Xerneas' signature move from Pokemon X. The move is excellent in the PvP context since it generates energy at an incredibly fast rate. This makes Xerneas much more viable in the game's Master League meta and provides a long-needed alternative to Zacian.