Pokemon GO Raid Guide: Countering Magmar

With a new week comes a new rotation of Raid Bosses in Pokemon GO. One of these new Raid Bosses is the fan-favorite Spitfire Pokemon, Magmar. Magmar has been a part of Pokemon GO as well as the Pokemon franchise since the very beginning.

Players of the original Pokemon games for the Nintendo Gameboy, Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue may remember encountering one in the abandoned Pokemon Mansion on Cinnabar Island. Others may remember it as a part of Blaine, the Cinnabar Gym Leader's team.

With its addition to the roster of possible Raid Bosses in Pokemon GO, many players may find themselves at an impasse as to the best course of action for taking one down. To best prepare for the fight, players should be aware of the Boss Pokemon's stats, the number of teammates they might need, and what Pokemon are recommended to bring to the battle.

---

Beating Magmar in Pokemon GO

Official artwork for Pokemon GO depicting Magmar (Image via Niantic)

The first thing players should remember is that Magmar is a Fire-type Pokemon. This means that Magmar takes super effective damage from Ground, Rock, and Water-type attacks. However, Fire-type Pokemon have a lot of resistances. Magmar resists Bug, Steel, Grass, Fairy, Ice, and other Fire-type attacks.

In terms of stats, Magmar has a perfect stat spread for an unevolved Pokemon. This is due to Magmar receiving its evolution, Magmortar, later in the franchise, so Magmar had to have the stat spread of a standalone Pokemon at Pokemon GO's launch. With a decent attack stat of 206, players should be aware that this Pokemon can deal some serious damage to an unprepared team.

When it comes to calling friends to help with the Raid Battle, Magmar is the easiest to take down by oneself of all of the currently available Raid Bosses. However, this does not mean that multiple people should not attempt this Raid Battle together, as two people would make quick work of Magmar.

Swampert is the best choice for possible counters in Pokemon GO to bring to this Raid as it greatly resists Magmar's Fire-type attacks can is bulky enough to even last throughout the entire battle with high enough IVs. Rhypherior is also an incredible option to bring to this Raid as it has the offense to take out Magmar while also having the defense to outlast it.

In summary, players looking to challenge the Magmar Raid Boss in Pokemon GO should prepare for it by bringing as many bulky Rock and Water types as they can find. Players should also bring at least one friend with them to make the battle quick and easy.