Shadow Zapdos Raid Guide

Zapdos (Shadow)

Shadow Zapdos is available from Tier 5 legendary Shadow Raids. Shadow Raids can only be done using in-person raid passes. Shadow Zapdos can be shiny from Shadow raids!

Shadow Zapdos 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)

Shadow Zapdos is an Electric and Flying type and is 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 Counters – Mega Pokémon

Zapdos (Shadow)

We would highly recommend the use of Mega Pokémon in Shadow Zapdos raids. They provide not only greater damage output, but also boost Pokémon of the same typing in the raid. We would suggest discussing your counter choices with your fellow trainers, and plan Mega Pokémon, and their position in your team accordingly.

If you have a group of 6, for example, one person should have their mega in slot 1, the next slot 2, the next slot 3, etc., you can try to keep the mega boost going throughout the raid.

#	Pokemon	Fast Move	Charge Move
1.	Tyranitar (Mega)	Smack Down Rock	Stone Edge Rock
2.	Aerodactyl (Mega)	Rock Throw Rock	Rock Slide Rock
3.	Glalie (Mega)	Frost Breath Ice	Avalanche Ice
4.	Abomasnow (Mega)	Powder Snow Ice	Weather Ball Ice
5.	Gengar (Mega)	Lick Ghost	Shadow Ball Ghost
6.	Alakazam (Mega)	Psycho Cut Psychic	Psychic Psychic
7.	Blaziken (Mega)	Fire Spin Fire	Blast Burn Fire
8.	Latios (Mega)	Dragon Breath Dragon	Psychic Psychic
9.	Charizard (Mega Y)	Fire Spin Fire	Blast Burn Fire
10.	Swampert (Mega)	Water Gun Water	Hydro Cannon Water

Best Shadow Zapdos Counters – Shadow Pokémon

While Shadow Pokémon are extremely expensive to power up, these are the top Shadow Pokémon you can use against Shadow Zapdos. Ensure you no longer have Frustration on these Pokémon before considering adding them to your team. If you have any of these as an option, while they may take more damage than non-shadow Pokémon, they will also deal more.

#	Pokemon	Fast Move	Charge Move
1.	Rhyperior (Shadow)	Smack Down Rock	Rock Wrecker Rock
2.	Mamoswine (Shadow)	Powder Snow Ice	Avalanche Ice
3.	Tyranitar (Shadow)	Smack Down Rock	Stone Edge Rock
4.	Weavile (Shadow)	Ice Shard Ice	Avalanche Ice
5.	Mewtwo (Shadow)	Psycho Cut Psychic	Ice Beam Ice
6.	Aggron (Shadow)	Smack Down Rock	Meteor Beam Rock
7.	Golem (Shadow)	Rock Throw Rock	Stone Edge Rock
8.	Aerodactyl (Shadow)	Rock Throw Rock	Rock Slide Rock
9.	Porygon-Z (Shadow)	Lock-On Normal	Blizzard Ice
10.	Omastar (Shadow)	Rock Throw Rock	Rock Slide Rock
11.	Piloswine (Shadow)	Ice Shard Ice	Avalanche Ice
12.	Sudowoodo (Shadow)	Rock Throw Rock	Meteor Beam Rock
13.	Garchomp (Shadow)	Dragon Tail Dragon	Outrage Dragon
14.	Articuno (Shadow)	Frost Breath Ice	Blizzard Ice
15.	Mr. Rime (Shadow)	Ice Shard Ice	Ice Punch Ice
16.	Salamence (Shadow)	Dragon Tail Dragon	Draco Meteor Dragon

Best Shadow Zapdos Counters – Non-Mega Pokémon

Here are the best Pokémon to use against a Zapdos raid boss that are not Mega Pokémon. Being weak to three different types, Zapdos’ counters table is diverse and shows the strongest Pokémon to use against the raid boss. Try to pick from the top end of this list, and ensure they have the necessary move-sets, and are powered up.

#	Pokemon	Fast Move	Charge Move
1.	Rampardos	Smack Down Rock	Rock Slide Rock
2.	Rhyperior	Smack Down Rock	Rock Wrecker Rock
3.	Tyrantrum	Rock Throw Rock	Meteor Beam Rock
4.	Darmanitan (Galarian Standard)	Ice Fang Ice	Avalanche Ice
5.	Mamoswine	Powder Snow Ice	Avalanche Ice
6.	Terrakion	Smack Down Rock	Rock Slide Rock
7.	Kyurem	Dragon Breath Dragon	Glaciate Ice
8.	Gigalith	Smack Down Rock	Meteor Beam Rock
9.	Kyogre (Primal)	Waterfall Water	Blizzard Ice
10.	Tyranitar	Smack Down Rock	Stone Edge Rock
11.	Glaceon	Frost Breath Ice	Avalanche Ice
12.	Aurorus	Rock Throw Rock	Meteor Beam Rock
13.	Aggron	Smack Down Rock	Meteor Beam Rock
14.	Weavile	Ice Shard Ice	Avalanche Ice
15.	Mewtwo	Psycho Cut Psychic	Ice Beam Ice
16.	Lycanroc (Dusk)	Rock Throw Rock	Stone Edge Rock
17.	Landorus	Rock Throw Rock	Rock Slide Rock
18.	Jynx	Frost Breath Ice	Avalanche Ice
19.	Landorus (Incarnate)	Rock Throw Rock	Rock Slide Rock
20.	Nihilego	Poison Jab Poison	Rock Slide Rock
21.	Golem	Rock Throw Rock	Stone Edge Rock

Zapdos Move Sets

Zapdos can have the following moves as a raid boss:

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!