How to solo defeat Cresselia in Pokemon GO 5-star raids

Pokemon GO reintroduced Cresselia to the raid rotation on August 4, 2023, and it will remain a 5-star raid boss until August 16, 2023. Given Cresselia's status as a legendary creature and the fact that it has solid defensive stats, it's no surprise that many trainers wish to defeat it in raids and capture it. The only trouble is that sometimes, players don't have allies to invite into 5-star Cresselia raids.

That leaves the question: can Cresselia be beaten solo in 5-star raids in Pokemon GO? Although the answer is certainly yes, not every trainer will be able to do so without a fair amount of preparation and strategy involved.

To be more concise, Pokemon GO players will need a high-end team of counters with excellent IV stats and quality high-DPS moves to match to topple Cresselia solo before the raid timer hits zero.

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Best counters to solo Cresselia in Pokemon GO's 5-star raids

As a Psychic-type species, Cresselia is susceptible to damage from Dark, Bug, and Ghost-type attacks. Additionally, trainers hoping to beat this boss solo in Pokemon GO will want to match these attacks to users of the same type to trigger the Same Type Attack Bonus for optimal damage output.

Moreover, players will want to use Pocket Monsters with the highest possible CP and IV stats possible to ensure that they deal enough DPS to beat Cresselia solo. Additionally, these creatures should be able to tank incoming damage that this raid boss deals in order to avoid team wiping and having to revive and heal the raiding party.

If Pokemon GO trainers have any Mega Energy stocked up, using Mega Evolution can be a massive help to overcome Cresselia in solo raids. Given the massive boost that megas enjoy, players can immensely speed up the raiding process and secure a victory much easier than before.

Recommended counters to beat Cresselia in solo raids

• Mega Gengar
• Mega Banette
• Mega Houndoom
• Mega Absol
• Mega Gyarados
• Mega Pinsir
• Mega Scizor
• Mega Beedrill
• Mega Tyranitar
• Gholdengo
• Hydreigon
• Chandelure
• Origin Forme Giratina
• Darkrai
• Unbound Hoopa
• Pheremosa
• Volcarona
• Yveltal
• Zoroark
• Weavile

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Best moves to beat Cresselia in solo Pokemon GO raids

Much like the Pokemon counters to beat Cresselia in solo situations, trainers will want to stick to Dark, Bug, and Ghost-type moves to secure a raid win. However, simply using moves that deal super effective damage won't always be enough for a victory in Pokemon GO.

Since this is the case, players will want to utilize attacks that deal great damage output while building solid stocks of energy. The more often a trainer can fire off Charged Moves for heavy damage, the better, so fine-tuning each counter's moveset for Cresselia raids can go a long way in locking up a solo raid win.

Recommended moves to beat Cresselia in solo raids

• Lick
• Shadow Claw
• Shadow Ball
• Snarl
• Foul Play
• Payback
• Bite
• Crunch
• Brutal Swing
• Bug Bite
• X-Scissor
• Hex
• Shadow Force
• Astonish
• Bug Buzz
• Dark Pulse
• Feint Attack

With capable, high-CP/IV counters and the right movesets in place, players should be able to take down Cresselia on their own in 5-star raids. Newer solo raiders may need a few attempts, but the final result is fully attainable.