Pokemon GO Raid Tips and Tricks - Rayquaza Raid Bosses

Despite what you might have heard, Pokemon GO isn't just about catching pokemon. A lot of trainers spend their time taking on Pokemon GO raids, facing off against powerful bosses for tantalizing rewards. But what exactly are Pokemon GO Raids? and why should you bother with them? Well, in this Pokemon GO Raid Guide, we'll aim to answer exactly that. We'll explain what Raids and EX Raids are in Pokemon GO, and give you some tips on the best ways to tackle them, list the Pokemon GO Raid Tiers, so that you're prepared to take on anything a Pokemon GO Raid may throw at you. Now that Gen 4 has been added into Pokemon GO, we've updated our list to include Gen 4 Raid bosses. We've placed them into the appropriate tiers and listed weaknesses.

Pokemon Go Rayquaza Raid

As if the appearance of Team Rocket wasn't enough to contend with, Rayquaza has also returned to Raids in Pokemon Go. Starting Wednesday July 31, Rayquaza will appear in 5-Star Raids until Monday, September 2. If you're really lucky, you'll be able to face off against a Shiny Rayquaza, which you can check out in the image below:

Pokemon GO Raid Bosses and Their Weaknesses

We've established the list below based on what we've seen so far in the Pokemon Go Raids, but we have seen reports of Raid bosses moving either up or down one tier, without much of a reason. Next to each individual Raid Boss we've listed their weaknesses, and you should generally try and bring multiple Pokemon of the type that the Raid Boss is weak to, instead of a balanced group of Pokemon.

Pokemon GO Tier 1 Raid Bosses and Their Weaknesses

Raid Boss	Best Counters
Bayleaf	Fire
Croconaw	Electric, Grass
Magikarp	Electric, Grass
Quilava	Rock, Water
Metapod	Any Attack
Ivysaur	Fire, Ice
Charmeleon	Water, Ground
Wartortle	Electric, Grass
Wailmer	Grass
Bidoof	Fighting
Kricketot	Fire, Flying, Rock
Shinx	Ground
Buneary	Fighting

Pokemon GO Tier 2 Raid Bosses and Their Weaknesses

Raid Boss	Best Counters
Electabuzz	Ground
Exeggutor	Fire, Bug, Ghost
Magmar	Rock, Water
Muka	Psychic, Ground
Weezing	Psychic, Ground
Lickitung	Fighting

Pokemon GO Tier 3 Raid Bosses and Their Weaknesses

Raid Boss	Best Counters
Alakazam	Dark, Ghost
Arcanine	Ground, Water
Flareon	Ground, Water
Gengar	Dark, Ghost
Jolteon	Ground
Vaporeon	Electric, Grass
Machamp	Psychic
Tangela	Fire, Flying
Porygon	Fighting
Piloswine	Water, Grass, Steel, Fighting, Fire

Pokemon GO Tier 4 Raid Bosses and Their Weaknesses

Raid Boss	Best Counters
Blastoise	Electric, Grass
Charizard	Ground, Water
Lapras	Electric, Fighting, Grass
Quilava	Rock, Water
Rhydon	Fighting
Snorlax	Fighting
Tyranitar	Fighting
Venusaur	Fire, Psychic

Pokemon GO Tier 5 Raid Bosses and Their Weaknesses

Raid Boss	Best Counters
Articuno	Fire, Ground
Moltres	Ground, Water
Zapdos	Ground
Lugia	Electric, Ice
Mewtwo	Ghost, Psychic
Raikou	Ground, Grass
Entei	Ground, Rock, Water
Suicune	Electric, Grass
Groundon	Ice
Kyogre	Electric, Grass
Rayquaza	Dragon, Ice
Regice	Ice
Registeel	Steel
Regirock	Rock

Tips for Fighting Pokemon GO Raid Bosses

• Build your team around the weakness of the Raid Boss Pokemon - there's no point taking in Pokemon that won't work well against a boss.
• Take your Pokemon that have the strongest Charge Attack, since these are the attacks you'll mainly be using against the Boss Pokemon.
• Raid Boss Pokemon usually have ten times as much CP as normal Pokemon, so you could be there for quite a while.
• Remember to dodge! Swipe to either side as soon as you see a flash, and you should avoid any attacks from the Raid Boss.
• Raid Passes can be earned through fighting in a Gym, and you can only hold one Raid Pass at a time.
• Once used, a Raid Pass will give you access to a Raid for the hour that it takes place, so if you fail you can just head back in.
• Turn up the volume on your phone, it'll be easier for you to know when to dodge.
• The weather can make a huge difference to the power of the raid Boss you are facing down, plan for this and have a few different teams in rotation to suit a variety of weather conditions.
• Use the Nearby tab on your Pokemon GO tracker to bring up a list of available and active Raids. You'll see the silhouette of the Raid Boss, so can work out if you want to take it on or not.
• You get a free Pokemon GO Raid Pass every day for spinning a Gym disc.

Pokemon Go Extraordinary Raid Week

Niantic just revealed a brand new raid event to Pokemon Go. It's called the Pokemon Go Extraordinary Raid Week and introduces four tiers of Raids to take on. It runs until Tuesday May 28 at 1 p.m. PT, and you'll get double Stardust and Raid XP for taking it on. There's also a chance to catch a Shiny Bronzor. We've detailed the four new raid tiers below:

• ?: Machop, Slakoth, Shinx, Bronzor
• ??: Misdreavus, Kirlia, Mawile, Feebas, Clamperl, Bibarel
• ???: Alolan Raichu, Chansey, Scyther, Aerodactyl, Floatzel
• ????: Alolan Marowak, Dragonite, Tyranitar, Absol, Metagross

Pokemon GO Raid Level Requirement and How to Get Raid Passes

Trainers must be level 10 to participate in Raid battles. Once they are level 10, it's just a case of getting a Raid Pass. To get a Raid Pass, simply spin a Gym disc. You can only hold one Raid Pass at a time. Additional Passes can be purchased from the store, for 100 PokeCoins Each.

What is a Pokemon GO EX Raid ?

Niantic has introduced a Raid system called the EX Raid Battle, previously known as the Exclusive Raid Battle, which allows players to capture strong pokemon such as Mewtwo and Deoxys. EX Raid Battles are invite-only, and you must have received a EX Raid Pass to participate. To gain a higher chance at receiving an EX Raid Pass, you should try to meet the following requirements:

• Have obtained a Gold Gym Badge in the location where the EX Raid is being held.
• Have just beaten a Raid at a Gym recently
• Complete a large amount of Raids

Pokemon GO EX Raid Locations

So while you're waiting for a Pokemon GO EX Raid invitation, you'll want to take a look at where EX Raids can be hosted. Fortunately, Niantic recently updated Gym details so that you can check to see which ones can host EX Raids. It'll be tagged when EX Raids can appear at the Gym you're taking a look at, so plan accordingly.

Pokemon GO Raid Rewards

Raids are definitely worth your time in Pokemon GO, as you'll earn great rewards upon completion. Here are all of the Raid Rewards in Pokemon GO:

• Rare Candy
• Golden Razz Berries
• TMs
• 3000 Trainer XP for Standard Raid
• 20,000 XP for Legendary Raid
• Stardust
• 1000 Gym Badge XP

If you need help with any other areas of Pokemon GO, be sure to check out the wealth of guides we have on the game here at USgamer, including how Trading will work in Pokemon GO, as well as where to find region exclusive Pokemon.

For everything else on Pokemon GO, including tips and tricks, a look at how Gyms work, what new pokemon have been added, and info on upcoming events, head over to our Pokemon GO Guides Hub.

These are all the tips we have right now for taking on Pokemon GO Raids, but be sure to check back regularly for more information, like when new Raid Bosses are added in.