If you encounter Pokémon GO Kyurem in legendary raids, you need good counters. We at MeinMMO show you the best counters, maximum CP, and the usability of the dragon.
Where can you find Kyurem? Kyurem takes over Reshiram and Zekrom in legendary level 5 raids from today, December 16, and will be available for two weeks.
This is not the first time you can catch Kyurem in Pokémon GO, but the dragon is available for the first time in its shiny form.
How long can you catch Kyurem? The legendary dragon will stay in level 5 eggs for the rest of the year. It will be your opponent in the raids from December 16 at 10:00 AM local time until December 31 at 8:00 PM.
Kyurem – The best counters
Which types are effective? In terms of types, Kyurem is not only a dragon but also an ice type. This means that you get a CP boost from weather conditions with wind and snow, but be careful, as Kyurem will also be stronger then. Without a weather boost, the Pokémon will face you with level 43,478.
In attack, you should focus on the types fighting, rock, steel, dragon, and fairy, as these promise high effectiveness and good damage against the ice dragon. If successful, you can catch Kyurem afterwards. The dragon has a CP between 1,957 and 2,553.
You will have the best success chances with these counter Pokémon and movesets (via pokebattler.com):
| Pokémon | Moveset |
| (Shadow-) Metagross | Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash |
| (Shadow-) Machamp | Counter and Dynamic Punch |
| Lucario | Counter and Aura Sphere |
| Terrakion | Smack Down and Sacred Sword |
| (Shadow-) Hariyama | Counter and Dynamic Punch |
| (Shadow-) Tyranitar | Smack Down and Stone Edge |
| Garchomp | Counter and Dynamic Punch |
| Dialga | Metal Claw and Draco Meteor |
| (Shadow-) Dragapult | Dragon Breath and Dragon Claw |
| (Shadow-) Gardevoir | Charm and Dazzling Gleam |
Alternatively, the following Pokémon are also suitable for use against Kyurem:
- Rhydon with Smack Down and Rock Wrecker
- (Shadow-) Salamence with Dragon Breath and Outrage
- (Shadow-) Scizor with Bullet Punch and Iron Head
- (Shadow-) Mewtwo with Psycho Cut and Psystrike
- Zekrom with Fire Fang and Outrage
- (Shadow-) Gyarados with Dragon Breath and Outrage
What about Mega Evolutions? Mega Evolutions of Pokémon only last for a limited time in GO. They are suitable for taking down strong raid bosses more easily. You can use the following Mega Evolutions against Kyurem:
- Mega-Gyarados with Dragon Breath and Outrage
- Mega-Charizard Y with Fire Fang and Dragon Claw
- Mega-Lopunny with Low Kick and Focus Blast
With optimal counters and the weather as well as best friend bonus, you can defeat Kyurem even with two players. On average, however, we recommend that you face the dragon with 3 to 5 players.
Is Kyurem worth it?
Is there a shiny? Yes! For the first time, Kyurem can also be caught in its shiny form in Pokémon GO. For all shiny hunters, it’s definitely worth a repeat visit to the Kyurem raids.
Kyurem (normal) 
Kyurem (shiny form)
How strong is Kyurem? Kyurem has the fast moves Fire Fang and Steel Wing and the charged moves Dragon Claw, Blizzard, and Draco Meteor. You will most likely want the combination of Fire Fang and Draco Meteor for a good dragon attacker.
These two moves are the best variant of the ice dragon in both gym attacks and trainer battles (via pokefans.net).
In terms of stats, Kyurem scores with relatively strong attack and good stamina. However, it drops quite a bit in defense and can therefore be defeated relatively quickly.
Even though Kyurem can do a good job in raids, it is not one of the best attackers of 2021. In PvP, however, you can use it well to quickly break the opponents’ shields.
Is Kyurem worth it now? This is not the first time the ice dragon is available in Pokémon GO. So if you already have a good Kyurem and don’t care about a shiny form, the raids may not be worthwhile for you.
However, if you are a shiny hunter, you should definitely take advantage of the two raid hours with Kyurem on December 22 and 29, as the dragon is available as a shiny in the game for the first time.
But if you’re just looking for the best attackers, Kyurem is probably not worth it for you.
Are you participating in the raids? Are you excited to catch Kyurem in shiny form, or are you less enthusiastic about facing the ice dragon again? Let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO.
