Zacian Pokémon GO Raid Battle Strategy

The Legendary Fairy-type
Pokémon Zacian, originally
discovered in the Galar region, will make its Pokémon GO debut on August 20,
2021. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Zacian,
how to catch Zacian after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Warrior
Pokémon after you’ve caught it.

As a Fairy-type Pokémon, Zacian is vulnerable to Poison- and Steel-type attacks. When choosing six
Pokémon for your Zacian Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that
have a Poison- or Steel-type Fast Attack and Charged Attack if you want to deal
as much damage as possible. A Pokémon that shares a type with these attacks
will benefit from a same-type attack bonus, which will allow these attacks to
deal an additional 20% damage.

Remember that you’re battling Zacian’s Hero of Many Battles
form, which is only Fairy type, unlike its Fairy- and Steel-type Crowned Sword
form. If you have multiple Poison- or Steel-type Pokémon, choose Pokémon with
the highest CP and best overall stats. Remember that speed of victory affects
how many Premier Balls you will receive after a successful Raid Battle, so bring
your strongest Pokémon and defeat Zacian as quickly as possible.

• Beedrill / Mega Beedrill (Bug/Poison)

• Vileplume (Grass/Poison)

• Victreebel / Shadow Victreebel (Grass/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Acid (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Acid Spray (Poison), Sludge Bomb (Poison)

• Muk / Shadow Muk (Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Acid (Poison), Poison Jab (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Acid Spray (Poison), Gunk Shot (Poison), Sludge Wave (Poison)

• Gengar / Mega Gengar (Ghost/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Hex (Ghost), Lick (Ghost), Shadow Claw (Ghost)

  • Charged Attack: Sludge Bomb (Poison), Sludge Wave (Poison)

• Roserade (Grass/Poison)

• Scizor / Shadow Scizor (Bug/Steel)

• Aggron / Shadow Aggron (Steel/Rock)

• Metagross / Shadow Metagross (Steel/Psychic)

  • Fast Attack: Bullet Punch (Steel)

  • Charged Attack: Flash Cannon (Steel), Meteor Mash (Steel)

• Empoleon (Water/Steel)

• Lucario (Fighting/Steel)

• Dialga (Steel/Dragon)

• Excadrill (Ground/Steel)

• Genesect (Bug/Steel)

After a Zacian raid, you’ll have a limited number of Premier
Balls you can use to catch Zacian, so make each one count. You can earn extra
Premier Balls for battling with friends and defeating Zacian more quickly.

In an encounter with Zacian, your chance of catching it is
greatest when the target ring is small enough for you score Excellent Throws. Throwing Curveballs can improve your
chances even more. But work within your abilities—if you don’t think you can
reliably make Excellent Curveball Throws, aim for Nice Throws or Great Throws
rather than risk missing the target ring completely.

Zacian isn’t going to make it easy on you
by sitting still while you’re trying to catch it. Don’t waste your Premier
Balls by throwing while it’s moving around. Watch Zacian to get a
feel for its cycle of movement and the pauses in between the cycles. During one
of these pauses, wait for the target ring to reappear, and then throw as it
starts to grow smaller to increase your odds of making a Great Throw or an
Excellent Throw.

Berries can help you catch Zacian. A Razz
Berry will make Zacian easter to catch, and a Golden Razz Berry will make it
much easier to catch. If you find yourself failing to land any throws, a Nanab
Berry will calm Zacian, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to
make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Zacian Candy, using a Silver
Pinap Berry will make Zacian easier to catch and grant you extra Candy when you
catch it.

Like all Legendary
Pokémon, Zacian is tricky to catch, so don’t be discouraged if it
escapes. Get a second wind by stocking up on useful items—like Max Potions, Max
Revives, and Golden Razz Berries—and try again.

As a Fairy-type Pokémon, Zacian has a type advantage against Fighting-, Bug-, Dragon-, and Dark-type Pokémon. This
makes Zacian particularly useful against many Raid Bosses, including Exeggutor,
Dragonite, Latias, Latios, Rayquaza, Palkia, and Giratina. Zacian is also an
excellent addition to your Pokémon GO Battle League lineup, so try to catch as
many Zacian as possible to help you earn Zacian Candy and Stardust.

Good luck with your next Raid Battle, and remember to check Pokemon.com/Strategy for more Pokémon GO, video game, and Pokémon TCG tips.

Source: Pokemon