Shadow Hydreigon & Shadow Tyranitar Dark Type Raid Meta Analysis

The Deino Community Day Classic brings back one of the most beloved Pseudo Legendaries to this fan-favorite Pokémon GO event. By catching this little Dark/Dragon type, you’ll be able to get enough Candy to power up the brutal Shadow Hydreigon.

Speaking of Pseudo Legendaries, others also wield Brutal Swing in their arsenal, notably Tyranitar and Salamence. The former is a Dark type, getting STAB in the attack, while Salamence makes a name for itself even without STAB due to the sheer power of its stats.

With Shadow Hydreigon and Shadow Tyranitar being premier Brutal Swing users in Pokémon GO, and Shadow Salamence being in the mix (but obviously inferior to the aforementioned Dark types), how good are they? How do they compare to each other, and the rest of the Dark meta?

Let’s find out!

What makes Shadow Hydreigon & Shadow Tyranitar so coveted in Pokémon GO?

With both having a good ATK stat, Tyranitar (251) and Hydreigon (256) ensure high DPS, especially with Brutal Swing in tow.  Moreover, their bulk is neat. Even with the Shadow nerf, they aren’t glass cannons and boast respectable bulk, especially when compared to most Dark and Ghost Pokémon. 

With Bite as their Fast Move, Shadow Hydreigon and Shadow Tyranitar are favored with the Party Play feature during Raid battles, charging up the boost fast and shelling out high damage figures. Bite offers an advantage over a Snarl user like Darkrai. Also, both Shadow Hydreigon and Shadow Tyranitar heavily resist Psychic-type damage courtesy of their Dark typing, giving them an edge over Ghost types as Raid Counters against Psychic Bosses.

Finally, Pseudo Legendaries are quite accessible despite their rarity, all thanks to Community Day. These events (and their Classic rendition) give enough Candy for trainers to max them out on the same, giving them an edge over Legendaries, Mythicals, and others with relatively lower access.

Shadow Hydreigon & Shadow Tyranitar as Dark-type attackers in Raids

Here are the best Dark– and Ghost-type attackers in Pokémon GO, sorted as per our GO Hub DPS Comparer Tool, against a Psychic or Ghost Raid Boss:

Among Dark types, Shadow Hydreigon takes the sweet spot in combat performance, overtaking the likes of Mega Tyranitar, Shadow Tyranitar, and Shadow Darkrai, and surpassed only by Mega Absol Z. While it doesn’t reach the bar set by Mega Gengar and Dawn Wings Necrozma, Shadow Hydreigon can absorb Psychic moves (unlike Mega Gengar) and Ghost moves (unlike either), giving it a niche. The additional Dragon typing gives Shadow Hydreigon some handy resistances, including Mewtwo’s Thunderbolt and Lugia’s Hydro Pump, making it perform pretty well in those scenarios.

Shadow Tyranitar has lesser DPS but better bulk, resulting in better staying power. Unlike Shadow Hydreigon, Shadow Tyranitar doesn’t need an Elite Charged TM to learn Brutal Swing. Pitting the two Dark-type Pseudos next to each other on an overall basis shows that Shadow Tyranitar and Shadow Hydreigon are quite similar to each other, with both sharing the same score. One leads in DPS, while the other leads in TDO. Literally apples and oranges!

Shadow Salamence pushes above its weight, with its devastating 277 ATK helping it overtake the likes of Hydreigon, Darkrai, and Blacephalon. Due to its Flying subtyping, Shadow Salamence comes in handy against Bosses using Fighting moves (against Hydreigon and Tyraniar). But, the irony of the matter is that Ghost types resist Fighting as well.

Now, Dawn Wings Necrozma is the undisputed ruler in all cases, but the Shadows of Tyranitar and Hydreigon are the best, barring the Mega Evolutions of Tyranitar and Gengar. At this juncture, keep in mind that Shadow Hydreigon does need an Elite Charged TM investment.

Is it worth it? Well, if you have one to spare, definitely go for it. Good Dark types are an asset in Pokémon GO, being efficient in countering Psychic and Ghost Raid Bosses, which are aplenty even in Gen 8 and Gen 9. However, if you have a moderately high-level Dawn Wings Necrozma, it’s technically better than a maxed Shadow Hydreigon. To put it in perspective, a level 37 Dawn Wings Necrozma dishes out higher DPS than a level 50 Shadow Hydreigon, with considerably higher TDO to boot.

On that note, a level 36 Dawn Wings Necrozma deals more DPS than a level 50 Mega and Shadow Tyranitar.

This comparison with Dawn Wings Necrozma, the very ceiling of the Dark and Ghost loggerheads, establishes Shadow Hydreigon as better than Shadow Tyranitar, and a worthy attacker to invest in, only if you want to. Needless to say, if you have a good Dawn Wings Necrozma, that’s all you need, along with some Megas at times.

Conclusion

Shadow Hydreigon and Shadow Tyranitar have done the Pseudo Legendary clan proud and will remain meta-relevant attackers in Pokémon GO. If you have multiple Shadow Salamence, then using one as a pure Dark-type attacker is a fun move.