What are Zapdos' Weaknesses in Pokemon GO?

Zapdos and its two cohorts, Articuno and Moltres, are returning to Pokemon GO and players around the world are gearing up for the fight. Zapdos and the two other Kanto legendary birds are coming back to Pokemon GO in the form of 5-Star Raid Bosses.

Zapdos is most commonly known for its appearance inside of Kanto's power plant or it can be found just outside of it in the Johto games. Zapdos and its cohorts also made an appearance in the movie Pokemon The Movie: 2000. In summary, veterans from the Pokemon franchise are excited for the return of the original Legendary Pokemon.

Before taking on any Raid Boss, knowing the best Pokemon to bring as well as what types have an advantage over the boss, is crucial to securing a win. Knowing how many allies are needed for a Raid Battle is also crucial information, as many Raid Bosses require at least 2 players.

At the very minimum, one additional player to act as an anchor to deal steady damage will help defeat the boss.

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Taking Down Zapdos in Pokemon GO

Zapdos is the mascot for Pokemon GO's Team Instinct (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The first thing to know when facing off against any Pokemon in Pokemon GO is its typing. Zapdos is a Flying and Electric-type Pokemon. This grants Zapdos a lot of resistances and only two weaknesses.

Zapdos is only weak against Ice and Rock-type attacks while resisting Ground, Fighting, Flying, Grass, Bug, and Steel-type attacks.

Zapdos has really solid stats in Pokemon GO that are mostly built for attacking. With an attack stat of 253, Zapdos is more than capable of dealing incredible burst damage with charged attacks and completely decimates targets that are weak to its fast attacks. Zapdos also has a good amount of bulk with a defense stat of 185 and a stamina stat of 207.

In terms of the best counters for Zapdos, trainers will want Pokemon with the power to punch right through its defense stat. While its defenses are slightly above average, they are far from invincible. Attacks like Rock Slide and Rock Wrecker are more than enough to shatter its health.

In terms of specific Pokemon to bring to the fight in Pokemon GO, Rhyperior is the first one that comes to mind. Due to its resistance to Electric and Flying-type attacks, as well as its typing powering up its Rock-type attacks, Rhyperior absolutely carries this fight as both a defensive and an offensive check for Zapdos. Mamoswine is also a great choice due to its Ice-type attacks and massive bulk.

Zapdos is most effectively countered in Pokemon GO by opponents that can capitalize on its lowest stat, which is its defense.

Players challenging this Raid Battle are encouraged to bring bulky Rock-type Pokemon and a team of at least 4 players to quickly sweep through Zapdos. Rhyperior, Mamoswine, and even Terrakion are good choices for this fight, due to their most powerful attacks absolutely destroying Zapdos.