With the Windy Weather Egg Hatches being released along with new Raid Bosses, one of the most important question players ask is which of the Raid Bosses are great in the game’s current and future meta. This article will overview and rate each Raid Boss per tier and see how they hold up not just in the present meta, but alongside the Pokemon to be released in the future and the possible meta once future generations are released.
If you are the type of player that pick and choose which Raid Boss to engage in, this is the article for you. Even if you aren’t selective with regards to raids, if you already have the Pokemon mentioned in this article, this will help you on which Pokemon you should invest your Stardust with. If you have not already read the first article where I discussed the Raid Bosses of Tier 1 & 2 Raids, click here.
Tier 3
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Starmie | |
| Current Meta | ★★☆☆☆ | |
| Future Meta | ★★☆☆☆ | |
Remember when Starmie can deal the highest Water type damage? Don’t get me wrong, it still can deal a huge dent on defenders weak to Water but because it’s a glass cannon, other players will pick a more reliable option like Gyarados or Vaporeon. Also, with Water being common in the game, as other Generations get released, more and more Pokemon will outclass Starmie, especially because it doesn’t have a Mega Evolution.
See Also: Starmie Raid Guide
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Claydol | |
| Current Meta | ★☆☆☆☆ | |
| Future Meta | ★☆☆☆☆ | |
Claydol might seem like a good defender with its massive Defense but Shuckle knows that just having massive Defense is not enough. A good balance of HP and Defense is needed, and Pokemon with higher HP tend to be better because of how the gym doubles the HP of its defenders. It’s a bad thing too, because since it is a Psychic type, it’s a good momentum breaker for gyms filled with the common Normal type defenders. Claydol’s future also doesn’t bode well, because it doesn’t have a Mega Evolution.
See Also: Claydol Raid Boss Guide
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Aerodactyl | |
| Current Meta | ★★☆☆☆ | |
| Future Meta | ★★★☆☆ | |
Aerodactyl is one of the rare instance that having good stats doesn’t necessarily translate to being good in the meta. Hindered by a bad moveset, it only has Ancient Power as its only STAB, which is a weak move in general. This is weird because in the main series games, it can learn Wing Attack, Aerial Ace, Sky Attack, Rock Slide, Rock Tomb, and even Stone Edge. Personally, I’m holding hope that it’ll have a change of moveset soon, plus its Mega Evolution is not too shabby as well. Right now however, it’s an just okay Pokemon with a potential to be great in the future.
See Also: Aerodactyl Raid Boss Guide: counters, solo counters, CP and IVs
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Syther | |
| Current Meta | ★★★☆☆ | |
| Future Meta | ★★★☆☆ | |
Scyther’s evolution, Scizor, is a great Mewtwo counter that resist every move Mewtwo can learn bar Focus Blast and Shadow Ball, which have neutral effectiveness, making Scizor one of the safest Pokemon to reliably use against most Mewtwo movesets. It has a fierce rivalry among the other two powerful Bug types, Pinsir and Heracross. All three have very different niches. Scizor’s specialty is also having a decent Steel type moveset that will be good when the Regi trio, Regirock, Regice, and Registeel, are released, because two of them are weak against Steel. Also, Latios and Latias are both Psychic while Scizor also has resistance to all of their moves, except Latias’ Thunder, which it has neutral effectiveness as well. Overall, Scizor has the bulk and resistance to make for a tanky attacker. It will also have a Mega Evolution in the future, further boosting everything it already has.
Scyther and Scizor actually have the same base stat total in the main series games. In Pokemon GO however, because of how little Speed can contribute in the overall stats in the game, Scyther’s actual stats in the game is a bit lower. That doesn’t mean that it’s worthless. Scyther can make use of its type and is actually one of the best type attackers in the game. It’ll eventually fall from grace once more decent type attackers are released but remember that you can still evolve it into Scizor when it becomes mediocre.
See Also: Scyther Solo Raid guide and counters
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Alakazam | |
| Current Meta | ★★★★☆ | |
| Future Meta | ★★★★☆ | |
Alakazam is a diet version of Mewtwo, and because Mewtwo already exists, its usage has dropped significantly. It doesn’t mean it’s bad. It still has a massive Attack backed by a great moveset but because it’s a glass cannon, don’t expect it to survive that long. Its Mega Evolution will definitely be a welcome addition to any team, having more firepower than Alakazam. Overall, if you love Mewtwo, you’ll like Alakazam as a secondary option.
See Also: Alakazam Solo Raid Guide
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Machamp | |
| Current Meta | ★★★★★ | |
| Future Meta | ★★★☆☆ | |
Machamp is the meta-defining Pokemon right now, since Normal types like Blissey, Chansey, and sometimes Snorlax are haunting gyms. It has well-rounded stats and a good moveset to finish its job. It definitely won’t be gone soon because as soon as the Regi trio are released, Machamp’s usage will skyrocket again, with Fighting type being the common weakness among the three. It’ll definitely still be usable until Generation IV, but once Generation V comes, Conkeldurr can possibly take its place, having better overall stats and a much higher overall CP. After that, the Swords of Justice, four Fighting type Legendary Pokemon with great overall stats, will possibly be released. It doesn’t help that it doesn’t have a Mega Evolution in the future. That doesn’t mean though that it won’t be usable in the future. It will still be a great option, and can help you on some of the Legendary Raids Generation IV. Just don’t power it up too much, because it’s fall will come soon enough.
See Also: Machamp Solo Raid Guide
Tier 4
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Charizard | |
| Current Meta | ★☆☆☆☆ | |
| Future Meta | ★★★★☆ | |
The OG Fire starter has come back and it’s not really better than it was before. With better Fire types like Moltres and Entei being released, there really is not much use of Charizard in the current meta. Once Mega Evolutions are implemented, Charizard will finally have its day. It has two Mega Evolutions, Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y. While in the main series games, the two Megas have vastly different play-styles, that’s not the case with Pokemon GO. Because of how stats are computed, Mega Charizard Y will be better stats-wise. It can become one of the most powerful Fire type attacker in the game if its given the right moves. On the other hand, Mega Charizard X might have the Dragon typing, but even if Niantic blesses him with a Dragon Fast move, it will be outclassed by many Dragon types, especially Reshiram, who’s already rocking the same typing as Mega Charizard X.
See Also: Charizard Raid Boss Guide
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Absol | |
| Current Meta | ★☆☆☆☆ | |
| Future Meta | ★★☆☆☆ | |
Absol is a great option for raiding Mewtwo, but because it is a glass cannon and you can only catch one in raids, Tyranitar is always used. It’s definitely the Pokemon that was released too late, given that almost everyone has at least gotten a decent Tyranitar by now because of raids. Yes, it will have a Mega Evolution, but so will Tyranitar. It’s still a great Pokemon but given all the circumstances, it’s a risky investment Stardust-wise, even if it can be caught in the wild or hatched in eggs. Most people raid it to get a Shiny Variant so that’s the silver lining for Absol.
See Also: Absol Raid Guide
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Aggron | |
| Current Meta | ★★★☆☆ | |
| Future Meta | ★★☆☆☆ | |
Aggron’s CP is very deceiving. It’s definitely a Pokemon that’s great on paper, but with how common Fighting type attackers are, it’ll not really fare that well on gyms. With its okay offenses, it is a good anchor for raids, but not really the number one option people hoped it is, with Steel type not really the best offensive option there is. It can be a good anchor against Regirock and Regice, even if they have a Fighting moveset, because of Aggron’s Defense. While Aggron does have a Mega Evolution, because of the uncertainty of Mega Evolution on gym defense, Aggron’s status on the future meta is still up in the air. It does lose the Rock type so it should be a better defender.
See Also: Aggron Raid Guide: Aggron raid counters, IVs and moves and Aggron in the Meta Game
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Tyranitar | |
| Current Meta | ★★★★★ | |
| Future Meta | ★★★★★ | |
With Tyranitar’s status as a Pseudo-legendary Pokemon, it’s clear that it is and will still be a top-tier threat. Tyranitar may have the stats of a defender, its typing is not really good when paired with common defenders, with its sole double weakness being the most common attacking type against gyms. Tyranitar truly shines as a generalist tanky attacker. It may not be the best counter to a raid, but it can power through almost any Pokemon just by its powerful stats alone. With Psychic and type being two of the most common type for a Legendary, the future looks bright for Tyranitar when it comes to Legendary Raids. The fact that it has a Mega Evolution is also a plus. This Pokemon is definitely the most “future-proof” Pokemon not just in the tier, but in all of the regular Raids as well.
See Also: Tyranitar Raid Guide: counters, combat power, weather
Conclusion
It’s no contest that Tyranitar is the best, but surprisingly, Alakazam and Charizard have a better future compared to Machamp. While Machamp’s fall will not be seen until Generation V, it’s something you should think about when considering powering Machamp beyond level 30. Only Claydol and Starmie are truly the ones not worth raiding nor investing Stardust on. Absol is only bad because of its circumstances, while Aerodactyl is bad because of its moveset, but both Pokemon are great overall.
