How to beat Suicune in Pokemon Go: strategy & best counters

Suicune is making a return to five-star raid battles in Pokemon Go, and we’ve got the best counters to take advantage of its weaknesses and defeat the Legendary beast.

In the run up to the Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto event, which celebrate the franchise’s 25th anniversary, Niantic have been revisiting fan-favorite regions with special events, Collection Challenges, and raid battles with Legendary Pokemon.

Following appearances from Entei and Raikou, Johto’s third Legendary beast Suicune will be appearing in five-star raids from Thursday, February 4, 2021 at 10 AM to Tuesday, February 9, 2021, at 10 AM local time.

Long-time players will know this isn’t the first time the Water-type Legendary has appeared in the game, but it’s a great opportunity for trainers to seek out a higher CP version or find that elusive Shiny Suicune.

How to defeat Suicune in Pokemon Go

Suicune first appeared in Pokemon Gold and Silver on the Game Boy Color in 1999, alongside fellow Legendary beasts Entei and Raikou. It’s one of the most popular Pokemon of all time, even popping up in other games like Pokken Tournament and Super Smash Bros.

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Trainers looking to take down Suicune and add it to their collection will have a tough battle ahead of them, as this is a five-star raid with a Boss CP of 37,761. Suicune is also boosted by Rainy weather, so keep that in mind.

Fortunately, the pure Water-type Pokemon has two common weaknesses which can make this process a lot easier. Players should focus on strong Electric and Grass-type creatures for the best chance at success.

Best counters for Suicune in Pokemon Go

The ultimate choice to take down Suicune would be Mega Venasaur with Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant, but if that’s not an option then trainers will do well with any of the Pokemon listed below.

• Zekrom: This popular Gen 5 Legendary is a powerful choice in most battles, and will take down Suicune easily with Charge Beam and Wild Charge.
• Raikou: Suicune’s fellow Legendary beast Raikou is one of the best counters to use here, with the moves Volt Switch and Wild Charge exploiting its Electric weakness.
• Zapdos: Another excellent Legendary counter is Zapdos, one of the OG Pokemon from Gen 1. The moves Thunder Shock and Thunder Bolt will serve you well against Suicune.
• Electivire: The final evolution of Elekid is a solid choice for taking on Suicune. Use the moves Thunder Shock and Wild Charge to deliver some shocking damage.
• Magnezone: Trainers who’ve managed to evolve their Magneton into a Magnezone are in luck, as it will help greatly when battling Suicune with Spark and Wild Charge.

Don’t worry too much if you don’t have any of the above Pokemon in your roster. Take your strongest Grass or Electric-types into battle with, and you should have a good shot at winning by exploiting Suicune’s weaknesses.

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Some more common counters that should still be very effective are Luxray with Spark and Wild Charge; Roserade with Razor Leaf and Grass Knot; Sceptile with Bullet Seed and Frenze Plant; and Tangrowth with Vine Whip and Power Whip.

While fellow Legendary beasts Entei and Raikou have been and gone, there’s plenty to look forward to as Latios and Latias will take over five-star raid battles in Pokemon Go from February 9 to February 20, 2021.