Today, on May 5th, the Raid Hour with Xerneas starts in Pokémon GO. We show you the counters, information, and for whom the event is worth it.
What is happening today? Just before 6:00 PM, you will find legendary raid eggs in nearly all gyms, which will hatch around 6:00 PM. For one hour, you will then find legendary raids at these gyms. Today they feature Xerneas, which was recently released.
Here we provide an overview of what you need to know for the battle and about the Pokémon.
The best counters against Xerneas
This is effective: Xerneas is exclusively of the Fairy type. Accordingly, attacks against the Pokémon that belong to the Poison or Steel types are effective. In the game, there are numerous Pokémon that know attacks of these types. Here we show you an overview of the strongest attackers you can use.
| Pokémon | Moveset |
| (Shadow) Metagross | Bullet Punch + Flash Cannon |
| Mega Beedrill | Poison Jab + Sludge Bomb |
| Roserade | Poison Jab + Sludge Bomb |
| Heatran | Fire Spin + Iron Head |
| Mega Venusaur | Vine Whip + Sludge Bomb |
If you don’t have enough of these Pokémon to fill your raid team, we have even more strong alternatives for you: Counter Guide against Xerneas in Pokémon GO – Use these attackers. Generally, Steel and Poison have an advantage in battle.
How many trainers do you need? If you have the optimal, fully powered top counters, you can defeat Xerneas with just three people. However, we recommend a group of at least four, preferably five trainers. This way, your chances of defeating Xerneas quickly increase if you want to complete multiple raids during the raid hour.
Is there a Shiny Xerneas? No, the shiny form of Xerneas has not yet been released in Pokémon GO. Shiny hunters have no chance to expand their collection with Shiny Xerneas during the raid hour.
Are Xerneas raids worth it?
The raid can be worth it for you if you do not yet have Xerneas, but you want to complete your collection.
However, Xerneas has quite weak fast attacks. It lacks fast attacks of the Fairy type. In battles, it is therefore not very effective in its current state.
Who should raid? Keep in mind that you receive a free remote raid pass in Pokémon GO every Monday. If you are still missing Xerneas, you can join remotely and secure a copy this way. You can find the other current raid bosses here.
The next legendary boss coming to the game is Yveltal. Together with Xerneas and Zygarde, it forms an important trio in the history of Pokémon. We have looked at its potential before the release and checked how strong Yveltal will be in Pokémon GO.
Will you participate in the raid hour today or will you not join? Feel free to write to us here on MeinMMO in the comments, why or why not you participate.
