Pokemon GO Lairon raid guide: Weaknesses and best counters

Lairon is one of the many creatures players could potentially encounter as a Three-Star Raid Boss in Pokemon GO. Being in the middle stage of the fan-favorite Aggron's evolutionary line, some trainers may feel tempted to challenge the Pocket Monster for the prospect of evolving it into Aggron. However, this creature can be a bit of a challenge to overcome due to its Steel typing and high defense.

Here is everything trainers should know if they ever encounter a Lairon Raid Boss in Pokemon GO.

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Everything to know about Lairon in Pokemon GO

Lairon is a Steel- and Rock-type Pokemon (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Lairon is a Steel- and Rock-type creature in Pokemon GO, which may sound imposing, given that these types can resist many elements used by early-game Pocket Monsters. However, the combination of Rock and Steel leaves Lairon vulnerable to Water-, Ground-, and Fighting-type attacks.

Ground and Fighting deal the most damage against Lairon. Both the Rock and Steel typings are weak to these attacks individually, so they stack when the elements are paired. This type combination remains consistent throughout the evolution line, with Mega Aggron being the first to rid itself of the Rock typing, which hindered its defensive utility.

Here are Lairon's base stats in the game:

• 158 Attack
• 180 Defense
• 155 Stamina
• 2,324 Maximum Combat Power

Being an unevolved Pokemon, Lairon's base stats are not at their maximum potential. Players who want to evolve Lairon into Aggron need to collect 100 Aron candies to do so.

As briefly mentioned previously, Aggron also has the capacity to Mega Evolve, making it helpful for raids and Team GO Rocket battles.

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Best counters against Lairon in Pokemon GO

Many powerful Ground-type Pokemon can counter Lairon (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Many creatures can counter Lairon effectively due to its lower stat pool, leaving it weaker than most other Three-Star Raid Bosses in Pokemon GO. With this in mind, it will also be much easier to take down with just one player compared to a standard group, as the game intends.

Primal Groudon is the best possible option, being the strongest Ground-type creature in Pokemon GO. However, it is not very accessible, only being given away during special occasions.

Even if players do not have enough energy to turn Groudon into its Primal form, its base variant should be more than enough to take Lairon down.

Mega Lucario is another powerful option. Thanks to its strong Fighting-type moves, it can easily burst down Lairon (especially due to its stacking weakness). The creature should not be too hard to find, as it is fairly new to the game. Many trainers who participated in its event likely have access to one.

Here are some other counters players can use:

• Terrakion with Double Kick and Sacred Sword
• Shadow Machamp with Counter and Dynamic Punch
• Excadrill with Mud-Slap and Scorching Sands
• Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earth Power
• Shadow Annihilape with Counter and Close combat

These counters should be fairly easy to come by, with Annihilape, in particular, being one of the most common spawns seen throughout 2024.

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For more information on the game, check out the articles below:

• Ditto disguises
• Sierra counters
• Cliff counters
• Arlo counters
• Giovanni counters
• Team GO Rocket Grunts