Pokemon GO Hisuian Sneasel raid guide (June 2023): Best counters, weaknesses, and more

In Pokemon GO's latest content rotation, Hisuian Sneasel was revealed to be returning to live servers as a Raid Boss. This is great news for players who may have missed out on their chance to secure this Pocket Monster previously, as Hisuian variants are currently some of the rarest monsters in Niantic's mobile game.

Hisuian Sneasel and its evolution play a surprisingly big role in the plot of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, the game they debuted in. Sneasler, Hisuian Sneasel's evolution, is one of the rides that players can encounter to make traversing the Hisui region much easier. For this reason, the two have become fast fan favorites.

Though the Raid Battle for Hisuian Sneasel is not the most difficult or stressful challenge that Pokemon GO has to offer, some new players may want to give easier raids a try while also getting rare creatures while they are at it. So, what can players expect from this battle?

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

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How to counter Hisuian Sneasel in Pokemon GO

Official artwork for Pokemon GO featuring Hisuian Sneasel (Image via Niantic)

The first thing players must know before heading into any Raid Battle in Pokemon GO is the boss' elemental typing. Hisuian Sneasel is one of the variants that received a massively reworked typing between regions. It is a Poison and Fighting-type creature, much like Croagunk and Toxicroak.

This combination of elements leaves this version of Sneasel vulnerable to Ground, Flying, and especially Psychic-type moves. Since both the Fighting and Poison elements are weak to Psychic attacks, creatures with access to moves of the type are the best ones to bring for this raid.

For beginners looking to get into the raiding scene, Espeon is one of the most common and consistent counters for Hisuian Sneasel in Pokemon GO. Espeon is a powerful Psychic-type creature with great stats. It is very easy to evolve utilizing the Eevee Nickname Easter Egg.

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Is Hisuian Sneasel good in Pokemon GO PvP?

Since Hisuian Sneasel is not a fully evolved Pokemon, it is not recommended for serious competitive usage. Since it is such a niche pick, not a lot of data has been collected regarding its performance in Pokemon GO. Players looking to use the family in competitive play rather than casual cups would see more success using Sneasler.

In the rare scenario where it can participate in a special cup like the Little Cup, Sneasel may perform well. This is thanks to its secondary Fighting typing, which grants it potent damage with Normal-type tanks that typically populate the tier, like Lickitung and Munchlax. However, this has yet to be seen in action and is mere speculation.

Overall, Hisuian Sneasel shows some promise and potential in the competitive aspects of the mobile game. This makes its Raid Battle the perfect time to add the creature to one's collection.