Pokemon Go Nihilego Raid guide: Weaknesses & best counters
DEXERTONihilego is returning to Pokemon Go’s Raid Hour during the Into the Wild event, so here are the Ultra Beast’s weaknesses and the best counters to help you defeat it in battle.
After it made its debut during the huge Go Fest event in June 2022, Nihilego will once again be emerging out of Ultra Wormholes and into 5-Star Raids for the Into the Wild event.
If you want to add this powerful Ultra Beast from the Alola region to your collection, we’ve got all the details you’ll need to take it down in no time at all.
Nihilego weaknesses in Pokemon Go
Nihilego is a Rock/Poison-type Pokemon, which means it’s weak against Ground, Psychic, Steel, and Water-type attacks, so the best team to use against this Ultra Beast will feature Pokemon of these types.
It’s also important to know Nihilego’s resistances: avoid using Bug, Fairy, Fire, Flying, Normal, and Poison-type attacks, as these won’t damage it much at all.
Nihilego best counters
These are some of the best counters to use against Nihilego in the game:
| POKEMON | SPRITE | BEST MOVESET |
|---|---|---|
| Primal Groudon |  | Mud Shot & Precipice Blades |
| Mega Garchomp |  | Mud Shot & Earth Power |
| Mega Swampert |  | Mud Shot & Earthquake |
| Shadow Excadrill |  | Mud-Slap & Scorching Sands |
| Shadow Rhyperior |  | Mud-Slap & Earthquake |
| Landorus Therian Forme |  | Mud Shot & Sandsear Storm |
| Dusk Mane Necrozma |  | Psycho Cut & Sunsteel Strike |
| Rhydon |  | Mud-Slap & Earthquake |
| Golurk |  | Mud-Slap & Earth Power |
| Mamoswine |  | Mud-Slap & High Horsepower |
The list includes Megas, Legendaries, Shadow, and more common Pokemon so there should be something for trainers of all levels.
However, even though the creatures listed are very effective against Nihilego, they still need to be leveled up and know the proper moves if you want to win the battle.
How to get Nihilego in Pokemon Go
Just like with Legendaries, the only way to get any Ultra Beast in Pokemon Go is by challenging it to battle, so to capture Nihilego, you must first defeat it in a 5-Star Raid encounter and then use the given Premier Balls to catch it. But, keep in mind that you won’t always find the Ultra Beasts in Raids, as they appear for a limited time.
Luckily, Nihilego is returning to Raid battles along with some other mighty creatures during the Into the Wild event. The dual Rock/Poison creature will be featured in the Raid Hour taking place on November 19, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM local time, so players will have a very small window to catch it.
The Pokemon CompanyPreviously, players were rewarded with this Ultra Beast encounter by completing Special/Timed Research Tasks like “A Radiant World – 4th part” or “Ultra Beast Arrival: Win a raid”.
Nihilego CP in Pokemon Go
As with every Raid Boss in the game, the CP Nihilego has during a Raid battle won’t be the same once you manage to catch it after defeating it. Plus, certain types of weather can increase such CP.
| Raid Boss CP | 48,499 |
| CP range once captured | 2167 – 2256 |
| Partly Cloudy/Cloudy weather CP range | 2709 – 2821 |
| Nihilego max CP (Level 50) | 4465 |
Can Nihilego be Shiny?
Yes, Nihilego can be Shiny in Pokemon Go, as this special variation was introduced to the game back in June 2023.
NIANTIC/DEXERTOPlayers taking on this Ultra Beast during its time as a Raid Hour boss will have the chance to find Shiny Nihilego. They can recognize it by a thick golden line around its head and a thin line surrounding its whole body.
That’s all you need to know to take down Nihilego in Pokemon Go. Remember to check out All the Ultra Beasts available in the game, as well as How to get Remote Raid Passes and some very useful catching tips if you plan on challenging some alien-like creatures.