Gigantamax Lapras Strategy Guide: Counters, Weaknesses, and Battle Tips

Gigantamax Lapras will make its Pokémon GO debut during the Gigantamax Lapras Max Battle Day event on Sunday, 8 December 2024, from 14:00 to 17:00 local time. Read on to learn more about Gigantamax Lapras and which counter Pokémon to use in order to defeat it, as well as some Gigantamax Battle details and strategy!

Best Gigantamax Lapras Counters for every Role

Best Attackers

Attackers are recommended based primarily on their attack stat and ability to deal super-effective STAB damage to the Max Boss. Thereafter, other factors (like their speed and survivability) are considered.

Best Defenders

Defenders are recommended based primarily on a combination of their defense and stamina stats, as well as their Type being resistant to the moves of the Max Boss. Thereafter, other factors (like their speed and damage-dealing capacity) are considered.

Best Healers

Healers are recommended based primarily on their stamina stat. Thereafter, other factors (like their survivability, speed and damage-dealing capacity) are considered.

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Gigantamax Lapras

Lapras (Gigantamax)

Type

• Pokémon: Water / Ice
• Weak To (1.6×): Electric, Fighting, Grass, Rock
• Resistant To (0.625×): Water
• Double Resistant To (0.391×): Ice

Base Stats

• Attack: 165
• Defense: 174
• Stamina: 277

Moves

• Fast: N/A, Max Bosses only use charged moves
• Charged: Hydro Pump (Water), Surf (Water), Blizzard (Ice), Ice Beam (Ice), Dragon Pulse (Dragon), Skull Bash (Normal)

The Max Boss will have 2 different charged moves from its movepool, which includes exclusive moves. One is used as an area-of-effect attack that damages all Pokémon currently on the field and cannot be dodged. The other is used as a focused attack which targets only a specific Pokémon and deals double the regular damage, but this move can be dodged.

• Lapras can potentially deal super-effective damage against Grass-Type counters with its Ice-Type STAB moves. (STAB stands for Same-Type Attack Bonus, which is a 1.2× damage multiplier applied when a Pokémon’s Type is of the same Type as the move it uses).
• Lapras can also potentially deal super-effective damage against Rock-Type counters with its Water-Type STAB moves, however, there are currently no Rock-Type Max Pokémon available in the game. Lastly, Lapras will hit for neutral (STAB) damage against Electric-Type and Fighting-Type counters.

Trainers can re-lobby to re-roll the moves of a Max Boss, in order to face off against specific desired moves, since MP (Max Particles) are only consumed upon victory. However, since Lapras has a larger movepool, this might be more difficult to accomplish, requiring multiple attempts.

As such, defenders and healers will be key to keeping the attackers in the battle.

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Breakdown of Recommended Counter Pokémon

Gigantamax / Dynamax Toxtricity

Type

• Pokémon: Electric / Poison
• Double Weak To (2.56×): Ground
• Weak To (1.6×): Psychic
• Resistant To (0.625×): Bug, Electric, Fairy, Fighting, Flying, Grass, Poison, Steel

Base Stats

• Attack: 224
• Defense: 140
• Stamina: 181

Recommended Moves

• Fast: Spark (Electric, 0.5s, 8 DPS)
• Charged: N/A, Do not use charged moves in Gigantamax Battles

Toxtricity will take neutral damage from Lapras’s Ice-Type STAB, Water-Type STAB, Dragon-Type and Normal-Type moves, while dealing super-effective Electric-Type STAB damage in return.

Furthermore, Toxtricity’s high attack stat, combined with Spark’s speed, generally make it the optimal counter as an attacker.

Gigantamax Toxtricity is preferred over the Dynamax version, since the Gigantamax Attack deals more damage than its Dynamax counterpart.

Gigantamax / Dynamax Venusaur

Type

• Pokémon: Grass / Poison
• Weak To (1.6×): Fire, Flying, Ice, Psychic
• Resistant To (0.625×): Electric, Fairy, Fighting, Water
• Double Resistant To (0.391×): Grass

Base Stats

• Attack: 198
• Defense: 189
• Stamina: 190

Recommended Moves

• Fast: Vine Whip (Grass, 0.5s, 12 DPS)
• Charged: N/A, Do not use charged moves in Gigantamax Battles

Venusaur will take super-effective damage from Lapras’s Ice-Type STAB moves, neutral damage from its Dragon-Type and Normal-Type moves or resist damage from its Water-Type STAB moves, while dealing super-effective Grass-Type STAB damage in return.

As such, going up against Ice-Type moves can pose a problem for Venusaur, unless it has defenders or healers supporting it. When facing off against Water-Type moves though, Venusaur is the optimal counter.

Venusaur’s all-round good stats, combined with Vine Whip’s speed, make it an ideal counter as an attacker or healer.

Gigantamax Venusaur is preferred over the Dynamax version, since the Gigantamax Attack deals more damage than its Dynamax counterpart.

Dynamax Machamp

Machamp Dynamax

Type

• Pokémon: Fighting
• Weak To (1.6×): Fairy, Flying, Psychic
• Resistant To (0.625×): Bug, Dark, Rock

Base Stats

• Attack: 234
• Defense: 159
• Stamina: 207

Recommended Moves

• Fast: Counter (Fighting, 1.0s, 13 DPS)
• Charged: N/A, Do not use charged moves in Gigantamax Battles

Machamp will take neutral damage from Lapras’s Ice-Type STAB, Water-Type STAB, Dragon-Type and Normal-Type moves, while dealing super-effective Fighting-Type STAB damage in return.

Machamp’s high attack stat, combined with Counter’s relative speed, make it a good counter as an attacker. Furthermore, its decent defense stat and high stamina stat also make it a good defender or healer.

This makes Machamp the most flexible counter, since it can step into any role.

Dynamax Rillaboom

Rillaboom Dynamax

Type

• Pokémon: Grass
• Weak To (1.6×): Bug, Fire, Flying, Ice, Poison
• Resistant To (0.625×): Electric, Grass, Ground, Water

Base Stats

• Attack: 239
• Defense: 168
• Stamina: 225

Recommended Moves

• Fast: Razor Leaf (Grass, 1.0s, 13 DPS), Scratch (Normal, 0.5s, 12 DPS)
• Charged: N/A, Do not use charged moves in Gigantamax Battles

Rillaboom will take super-effective damage from Lapras’s Ice-Type STAB moves, neutral damage from its Dragon-Type and Normal-Type moves or resist damage from its Water-Type STAB moves, while dealing super-effective Grass-Type STAB damage or neutral Normal-Type damage in return.

As such, going up against Ice-Type moves can pose a problem for Rillaboom, unless it has defenders or healers supporting it. When facing off against Water-Type moves though, Rillaboom is an ideal counter.

Rillaboom’s high attack stat, combined with Razor Leaf’s relative speed, make it a good counter as an attacker.

Its high stamina stat, combined with Scratch’s faster speed, make it a good healer, since Scratch will allow it to get to the Max Phase faster and heal more frequently.

Dynamax Falinks

Falinks Dynamax

Type

• Pokémon: Fighting
• Weak To (1.6×): Fairy, Flying, Psychic
• Resistant To (0.625×): Bug, Dark, Rock

Base Stats

• Attack: 193
• Defense: 170
• Stamina: 163

Recommended Moves

• Fast: Counter (Fighting, 1.0s, 13 DPS)
• Charged: N/A, Do not use charged moves in Gigantamax Battles

Falinks will take neutral damage from Lapras’s Ice-Type STAB, Water-Type STAB, Dragon-Type and Normal-Type moves, while dealing super-effective Fighting-Type STAB damage in return.

Falinks’s good attack stat, combined with Counter’s relative speed, make it a good counter as an attacker.

Dynamax Blastoise

Blastoise Dynamax

Type

• Pokémon: Water
• Weak To (1.6×): Electric, Grass
• Resistant To (0.625×): Fire, Ice, Steel, Water

Base Stats

• Attack: 171
• Defense: 207
• Stamina: 188

Recommended Moves

• Fast: Bite (Dark, 0.5s, 12 DPS)
• Charged: N/A, Do not use charged moves in Gigantamax Battles

Blastoise will take neutral damage from Lapras’s Dragon-Type and Normal-Type moves or resist damage from its Ice-Type STAB and Water-Type STAB moves, while dealing neutral Dark-Type damage in return.

Blastoise’s Type resistances to Lapras’s STAB moves, high defense stat, good stamina stat and Bite’s speed, make it the optimal counter as a defender.

Dynamax Blastoise is preferred over the Gigantamax version, since the Gigantamax Attack’s Type (Water) will be resisted by Lapras.

Dynamax Metagross

Metagross Dynamax

Type

• Pokémon: Steel / Psychic
• Weak To (1.6×): Dark, Fire, Ghost, Ground
• Resistant To (0.625×): Dragon, Fairy, Flying, Grass, Ice, Normal, Rock, Steel
• Double Resistant To (0.391×): Poison, Psychic

Base Stats

• Attack: 257
• Defense: 228
• Stamina: 190

Recommended Moves

• Fast: Zen Headbutt (Psychic, 1.0s, 11 DPS)
• Charged: N/A, Do not use charged moves in Gigantamax Battles

Metagross will take neutral damage from Lapras’s Water-Type STAB moves or resist damage from its Ice-Type STAB, Dragon-Type and Normal-Type moves, while dealing neutral Psychic-Type STAB damage in return.

Metagross’s Type resistances, high defense stat, good stamina stat and Zen Headbutt’s relative speed, make it an ideal counter as a defender.

Dynamax Greedent

Greedent Dynamax

Type

• Pokémon: Normal
• Weak To (1.6×): Fighting
• Double Resistant To (0.391×): Ghost

Base Stats

• Attack: 160
• Defense: 156
• Stamina: 260

Recommended Moves

• Fast: Tackle (Normal, 0.5s, 10 DPS)
• Charged: N/A, Do not use charged moves in Gigantamax Battles

Greedent will take neutral damage from Lapras’s Ice-Type STAB, Water-Type STAB, Dragon-Type and Normal-Type moves, while dealing neutral Normal-Type STAB damage in return.

Greedent’s decent defense stat, high stamina stat and Tackle’s speed, make it an ideal counter as both a defender and healer.

It has the highest stamina stat of all currently released Max Pokémon and is therefore the optimal healer.

Dynamax Dubwool

Dubwool Dynamax

Type

• Pokémon: Normal
• Weak To (1.6×): Fighting
• Double Resistant To (0.391×): Ghost

Base Stats

• Attack: 159
• Defense: 198
• Stamina: 176

Recommended Moves

• Fast: Tackle (Normal, 0.5s, 10 DPS)
• Charged: N/A, Do not use charged moves in Gigantamax Battles

Dubwool will take neutral damage from Lapras’s Ice-Type STAB, Water-Type STAB, Dragon-Type and Normal-Type moves, while dealing neutral Normal-Type STAB damage in return.

Dubwool’s good defense and stamina stats, along with Tackle’s speed, make it a good counter as a defender.

Dynamax Excadrill

Excadrill Dynamax

Type

• Pokémon: Ground / Steel
• Weak To (1.6×): Fighting, Fire, Ground, Water
• Resistant To (0.625×): Bug, Dragon, Fairy, Flying, Normal, Psychic, Steel
• Double Resistant To (0.391×): Electric, Rock
• Triple Resistant To (0.244×): Poison

Base Stats

• Attack: 255
• Defense: 129
• Stamina: 242

Recommended Moves

• Fast: Mud Shot (Ground, 0.5s, 8 DPS)
• Charged: N/A, Do not use charged moves in Gigantamax Battles

Excadrill will take super-effective damage from Lapras’s Water-Type STAB moves, neutral damage from its Ice-Type STAB moves or resist damage from its Dragon-Type and Normal-Type moves, while dealing neutral Ground-Type STAB damage in return.

As such, going up against Water-Type moves can pose a problem for Excadrill, unless it has defenders supporting it. Excadrill’s high stamina stat and Mud Shot’s speed, make it an ideal counter as a healer.

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A Note On Gigantamax VS Dynamax

There are only 2 functional differences between Gigantamax and Dynamax Pokémon:

• The first is that Gigantamax Attacks have a fixed Type tied to the specific species, whereas the Type of Dynamax Attacks are tied to the Type of the fast move.
• The second is that Gigantamax Attacks have a higher base damage than the Dynamax versions.

The base damage of a Gigantamax Attack at level 1 is 350, which is equal to a Dynamax Attack at level 3. The Gigantamax Attacks have a base damage of 100 points higher than that of the Dynamax Attacks at every level.

Therefore, Gigantamax Pokémon are stronger attackers than their Dynamax counterparts if their Gigantamax Attack is of the required Type. However, for defenders or healers, Gigantamax is generally functionally identical to Dynamax, since their focus is not on dealing damage.

But, if healing or shielding is not required during the Max Phase, Gigantamax Attacks will still deal more damage on the side (assuming the Type is appropriate).

A Note On Recommended Moves

Exclusive moves are not considered for these suggestions, as they might not be obtainable during the preparation timeframe leading up to the Gigantamax Battle. Also, Trainers might not have Elite TMs to use or might simply prefer not to use them, since they are rare items.

For attackers, moves are recommended based on, in order of importance: super-effective damage, STAB, execution speed (in seconds) and DPS (base Damage Per Second). This is so that attackers will be able to deal as much damage as quickly as possible.

For defenders and healers, moves are recommended based on, in order of importance: execution speed, super-effective damage, STAB and DPS. This is so that they can charge up the Max Meter and get to the Max Phase faster, in order to protect and support their allies by shielding and healing. In these roles, dealing damage is secondary.

A Note On Charged Moves & Gigantamax Battles

Recommended charged moves are not included in this guide, since it is inadvisable to be using them in Gigantamax Battles. As such, Trainers do not need to worry about them and can save on Charged TMs.

The reason it is advisable to not use charged moves during Gigantamax Battles, is as follows:

• The amount of Max Energy generated per attack, is based on damage dealt in relation to the maximum HP of the Gigantamax Boss, but has a minimum value of 1.
• Additionally, because of how bulky these Gigantamax Bosses are, there is no charged move that can generate more than 1 Max Energy per use.
• So, since the execution time of fast moves are a lot quicker than those of charged moves and since they generate the same amount of Max Energy, using only fast moves fills up the Max Meter faster.

Furthermore, getting to the Max Phase as quickly as possible is the most important part of Gigantamax Battles — the boss does not attack during this phase, so healing any damage received during the regular battle phase and applying or restoring shields can be done in safety while also dealing large amounts of damage with the Max Attacks.

Even though this strategy means sacrificing some damage from charged attacks during the regular battle phase, it is definitely worth it. The reason for this is that Max Attacks will be used more frequently and that more than makes up for any lost damage during the normal battle phase, simply because Max Attacks are so powerful.

Although Max Mushrooms might make charged moves viable, their effect — doubling attack damage — is also applied to fast moves and Max Attacks. So the damage dealt / Max Energy generated in a certain amount of time from the different attack types, generally remain the same in relation to each other. Furthermore, Max Mushrooms are currently a rare (premium) resource, so they cannot dependably be included in strategies.

Thus, for Gigantamax Battles, using only fast moves is the best strategy.

A Note On Group Composition

While a group can consist of up to 40 Trainers, the larger group will be divided into smaller subgroups of 4 upon joining the lobby. So, ideally, the larger group should be divisible by 4 so as to create full subgroups.

Generally, the best strategy is to have 2 attackers, 1 defender and 1 healer in each subgroup of 4 Trainers in order to create sustainable groups. Also keep in mind that Trainers are grouped together in the order of joining the lobby. So, each subgroup should join one at a time and ensure that all 4 trainers are in the lobby before the next subgroup joins. This is to make sure that group compositions work out as intended.

A Note On Max Guard

Max Guard can stack up to 3 times and the damage that a shield can absorb is a set amount based on this Max Move’s level. The protection amount for a single shield is 20, 40 or 60 HP at levels 1, 2 and 3 respectively, which can stack to a total of 60, 120 or 180 HP per level.

Shields only get applied to the Pokémon using them. However, while shielded, the boss will direct its focused attacks towards that Pokémon.

Thus, the defender draws damage away from their 3 active allies, protecting them in this way. Dodging is important, to reduce damage received and keep shields up for longer.

A Note On Max Spirit

Max Spirit heals both the Pokémon using it and their 3 active allies. The amount of health restored is a percentage, based off the level of this Max Move and the user’s maximum HP. The heal amount for a single heal is 8%, 12% or 16% of the user’s maximum HP at levels 1, 2, and 3 respectively.

Thus, Pokémon with high stamina / HP are better healers.

Parting Words

There you have it. I hope that this guide has assisted you on your path to victory. Now gather your fellow Trainers, communicate with them and prepare your Pokémon for battle.

Good luck, Trainers! 

Guide written by Jeighdus, a level 47 Team Mystic Trainer from South Africa.