Shadow Zapdos Raid Guide

Shadow Zapdos

Shadow Zapdos is available from Tier 5 legendary Shadow Raids, and it can be shiny!

This Raid Boss can be caught with the following CP values, with an IV floor of 6/6/6:

• 1864 – 2015 CP (no weather boost, 100% Zapdos at Level 20)
• 2330 – 2519 CP (Rainy and Windy weather, 100% IV Zapdos at Level 25)

As an Electric and Flying type, it is only weak to Ice and Rock type attacks. Shadow Zapdos is an immensely difficult tier 5 raid due to the Shadow Raid mechanism. You will need to be well prepared with top counters, correct move-sets, powered-up Pokémon, and most importantly, Purified Gems.

Communication will be key for this raid! You will want to plan not only your Mega Pokémon team positions, and counters, but also your use of Purified Gems, so be sure you communicate with your fellow trainers.

We would suggest groups of 4+ for trainers with top counters that are maxed out, and armed with Purified Gems, or 8-10+ for lower-level trainers and those without ideal counters. Purified Gems are a must!

Best Shadow Zapdos Raid Counters

#	Attacker	Fast Move	Charge Move	DPS	Faints	TTW
1.	White Kyurem	Ice Fang	Ice Burn	29.12	25	724s
2.	Shadow Rhyperior	Smack Down	Rock Wrecker	25.74	19	817s
3.	Black Kyurem	Dragon Tail	Freeze Shock	25.49	28	816s
4.	Mega Y Mewtwo	Psycho Cut	Ice Beam	25.48	31	828s
5.	Mega Diancie	Rock Throw	Rock Slide	25.43	40	819s
6.	Mega X Mewtwo	Psycho Cut	Ice Beam	24.42	33	860s
7.	Mega Tyranitar	Smack Down	Stone Edge	23.19	24	894s
8.	Shadow Tyrantrum	Rock Throw	Meteor Beam	23.84	33	866s
9.	Shadow Mamoswine	Powder Snow	Avalanche	23.21	35	881s
10.	Eternatus	Poison Jab	Dynamax Cannon	22.11	26	947s
11.	Rhyperior	Smack Down	Rock Wrecker	21.42	19	977s
12.	Shadow Gigalith	Lock-On	Meteor Beam	22.58	43	886s
13.	Shadow Rampardos	Smack Down	Rock Slide	24.41	63	844s
14.	Shadow Tyranitar	Smack Down	Stone Edge	21.81	39	942s
15.	Mega Rayquaza	Dragon Tail	Breaking Swipe	21.43	39	988s
16.	Mega Garchomp	Dragon Tail	Breaking Swipe	19.38	17	1073s
17.	Tyrantrum	Rock Throw	Meteor Beam	20.39	32	1017s
18.	Baxcalibur	Ice Fang	Avalanche	20.86	40	1011s
19.	Shadow Golem	Rock Throw	Stone Edge	19.85	31	1050s
20.	Primal Kyogre	Waterfall	Avalanche	20.46	41	998s
21.	Incarnate Shadow Landorus	Rock Throw	Rock Slide	20.67	48	1026s
22.	Mamoswine	Powder Snow	Avalanche	19.94	34	1038s
23.	Mega Aerodactyl	Rock Throw	Rock Slide	21.38	52	952s
24.	Dawn Wings Necrozma	Psycho Cut	Moongeist Beam	20.20	38	1008s
25.	Terrakion	Smack Down	Rock Slide	20.09	41	1039s
26.	Shadow Mewtwo	Psycho Cut	Ice Beam	20.91	57	994s
27.	Gigalith	Lock-On	Meteor Beam	19.91	41	1022s
28.	Rampardos	Smack Down	Rock Slide	21.15	61	976s
29.	Alola Shadow Golem	Rock Throw	Rock Blast	19.59	40	1078s
30.	Shadow Ursaluna	Smack Down	Ice Punch	18.82	30	1118s

Shadow Zapdos Overview

	Shadow Zapdos ElectricFlying
Max CP	3987
ATK	253
DEF	185
HP	207
Weak to
Resists
Fast moves	Charge Beam Thunder Shock*
Charge moves	Thunder Thunderbolt Zap Cannon Drill Peck Ancient Power Heat Wave

*denotes a Legacy Move, only obtainable from an Elite TM.

Shadow Zapdos Sprites

Regular Sprite	Shiny Sprite
Shadow Zapdos	Shadow Zapdos

Shadow Raid Information & Advice

As a shadow raid, Zapdos will hit harder than ever before, so make sure your counters are powered up, have the right move-set, and aren’t weak to the raid boss’ moves. These raids are a tricky group task for even the most prepared trainers, and you will need Purified Gems to defeat them. Shadow Raid Bosses will grow enraged as you battle them, boosting their attack and defence.

You will need to subdue Shadow Zapdos using Purified Gems, a new item that can be assembled from Shadow Shards.

Shadow Shards are mysterious gem pieces that may be dropped by Team GO Rocket grunts, leaders, and Shadow Raids. You will need to gather enough shards to use Professor Willow’s newly invented Shard Refiner, and in return, you’ll be rewarded with a Purified Gem. Be sure to have collected as many as you can before you attempt a Shadow Zapdos raid, as without them you won’t be able to return it to its normal, non-enraged state. You can hold up to 10 Purified Gems in your inventory at a time.

There are multiple ways Purified Gems can assist your battle against enraged Shadow Raid Bosses:

• When you use a Purified Gem during a Shadow Raid, the enraged Shadow Raid Boss’s attack and defence will be lowered temporarily. This can give you the opening you need to take them down.
• You and your fellow Trainers can use more than one Purified Gem during a Shadow Raid. If used at the same time, their effects will stack.
• If enough Purified Gems are used, the enraged Shadow Raid Boss will be subdued—returned to its non-enraged state—which might give you the edge you need to defeat it!

Purified Gems will show in the bottom left corner of the raid battle when you are able to use them, so be sure to communicate with your raid group to stack their effects!