Pokemon GO Shadow Sneasel raid guide (May 2023): Best counters, weaknesses, and more

Pokemon GO's new Shadow Raid feature will go live alongside the Rising Shadows event on May 22, 2023. The new raiding format will see a slew of new Shadow Raid bosses, including Sneasel as a 3-star raid boss. Trainers who defeat this corrupted creature will not only receive the opportunity to catch it, but they may even get lucky and find its shiny variant as well.

Unlike a standard raid boss, Sneasel as a Shadow Raid boss benefits from the new enrage mechanic that sees it grow its attack and defense stats over the course of the raid. Pokemon GO players will need to account for this as they tackle Shadow Sneasel as a raid boss.

In addition to being wary of the boss' rage over the course of the fight, Pokemon GO players will still need to counter Sneasel effectively to emerge victorious.

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Recommended counters to beat Shadow Sneasel in Pokemon GO

As a Dark/Ice-type species in Pokemon GO, Sneasel has a wide range of weaknesses that can be exploited. Overall, Sneasel is susceptible to Bug, Fairy, Fighting, Fire, Rock, and Steel-type attacks, and Fighting-type moves in general will deal the most damage since Sneasel is doubly weak to them.

Additionally, if trainers match these moves to a user of the same elemental type, they'll activate the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) and increase their damage output even further. This is certainly something worth thinking about as trainers formulate their team of counters.

If trainers don't have Fighting-type moves/Pokemon available, there are still plenty of remaining elemental weaknesses for Sneasel to take advantage of. As long as players are dealing super effective damage to Shadow Sneasel via Pocket Monsters with good IV stats and a well-rounded moveset, this boss should fall in short order even with its ability to become enraged.

Furthermore, Pokemon GO players can assemble Purified Gems by combining Shadow Shards looted from defeated Team GO Rocket members, and these gems can remove a Shadow Raid boss' boosts from becoming enraged.

Recommended Pokemon counters to Shadow Sneasel:

• Terrakion
• Lucario
• Keldeo
• Machamp
• Conkeldurr
• Pheromosa
• Hariyama
• Toxicroak
• Virizion
• Buzzwole
• Cobalion
• Mienshao
• Bewear
• Blaziken
• Primeape
• Hitmonlee
• Falinks
• Galarian Zapdos
• Sirfetch'd
• Rampardos
• Gallade
• Poliwrath
• Pirouette Meloetta
• Emboar
• Heracross
• Pangoro

Recommended move counters to Shadow Sneasel:

• Double Kick
• Sacred Sword
• Counter
• Aura Sphere
• Dynamic Punch
• Low Kick
• Bug Buzz
• Superpower
• Brick Break
• Blaze Kick
• Cross Chop
• Close Combat
• Dazzling Gleam
• Steel Wing
• Smack Down
• Rock Slide
• Rock Smash
• Charm
• Blast Burn
• Karate Chop

In addition to having the right counters for the job, Pokemon GO players would benefit from collecting plenty of healing items like Potions and Revives. Shadow Sneasel may only be a 3-star raid boss, but it can still deal decent damage even when it's being countered. Crafting Purified Gems is advised, as raids against Shadow Sneasel can negatively snowball quickly if players allow the corrupted Pokemon to allow its rage to grow over the course of the fight.

Lastly, it doesn't hurt to invite a few fellow trainers and Pokemon GO friends to join the raid as well, as this should speed up the raid's completion time significantly.