In Pokémon GO today, on August 25, 2021, there is a raid hour featuring the legendary monster Zacian. We, at MeinMMO, have looked into which counters are best suited against this Pokémon and explain to you why you should take advantage of the raid hour today.
What is a raid hour? The raid hour is a one-hour short event in Pokémon GO that takes place weekly. During the event, legendary raid bosses hatch from level 5 raid eggs in nearly all gyms. This week, you will encounter the legendary Pokémon Zacian in its heroic warrior form.
Raid hour with Zacian (heroic warrior form) – Info and counters
When does the event start? The raid hour always takes place on Wednesdays between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM local time. Even today, you will already see dark eggs over the gyms before the start, which will hatch in time for the event.
Is there a Shiny Zacian? No, a shiny version of Zacian is not currently available in the game.
These are the best counters against Zacian: The legendary fairy Pokémon Zacian has a particular weakness to attacks from poison and steel types due to its type. Therefore, you should definitely use these to defeat it quickly.
With the help of the overview from Pokebattler, we have summarized the best counters for you (via pokebattler.com):
| Pokémon | Moveset |
| (Shadow) Metagross | Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash |
| (Shadow) Mewtwo | Confusion and Psystrike |
| (Shadow) Venusaur | Acid and Sludge Bomb |
| Dialga | Metal Claw and Iron Head |
| Roserade | Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb |
| (Shadow) Roselia | Acid and Sludge Bomb |
| Excadrill | Metal Claw and Iron Head |
| Jirachi | Charge Beam and Dream Eater |
| Genesect | Metal Claw and Magnet Bomb |
| (Shadow) Scyther | Bullet Punch and Iron Head |
| (Shadow) Muk | Poison Jab and Gunk Shot |
| (Shadow) Skuntank | Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb |
Using Mega Evolutions: Of course, you can also use your Mega Evolutions against Zacian. These counters are particularly suitable:
- Mega Gengar with Lick and Sludge Bomb
- Mega Beedrill with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
- Mega Venusaur with Vine Whip and Sludge Bomb
- Mega Pidgeot with Steel Wing and Brave Bird
How many trainers are needed? You should have at least 3 trainers with optimal counters to defeat Zacian in its heroic warrior form. However, we recommend bringing a few friends along or inviting them for remote raids. You can also use your remote raid passes to participate in distant raids.
Is the raid hour worth it?
Zacian in its heroic warrior form has only been available in Pokémon GO for a few days, through the 3rd Hyper Bonus. It has strong values in attack and defense but is not very impressive in raids due to its combination of attacks.
According to the overview from PvPoke, it is a good monster for use in the Great League (via pvpoke.com). So if you regularly participate in PvP battles and still need a strong fairy Pokémon for your collection, you should take this opportunity today.
Because you don’t have much time left to catch it, as it will already disappear from raids tomorrow. This is your last chance to catch Zacian. So if you haven’t caught one yet, you definitely should not miss the raid hour today.
What’s next? Tomorrow, on August 26, 2021, at 10:00 AM, Zacian will be replaced as a raid boss by Zamacenta. When it will return to the game is currently unknown. But Zamacenta will also only be available in level 5 raids for a few days. Additionally, you have until August 31 to complete your limited research on the 3rd Hyper Bonus.
What do you think about today’s raid hour? Will you participate, or is that not your thing? Have you already caught a strong Zacian? Feel free to share your opinion with us in the comments!
