Pokemon Go Lugia Raid guide: Weaknesses & best counters
NIANTIC/DEXERTOPopular Gen 2 Legendary Lugia is back in Pokemon Go‘s 5-Star Raids. So, if you plan on challenging it to add it to your Pokedex, you’ll need to know its weaknesses and counters to beat it in battle.
The end of the Max Out season is near, so Niantic is pulling out the big guns bringing back fan favorite Legendary Pokemon like Lugia as a Raid boss.
That’s right – the beloved Psychic/Flying-type will be in 5-Star Raids for a limited time with the Aeroblast move. Here’s everything you need to know to defeat it, including its weaknesses, counters, and more.
Lugia weaknesses in Pokemon Go
Lugia is a dual Psychic/Flying-type creature, so it’s weak to Rock, Ghost, Electric, Ice, and Dark moves, meaning players should choose their top Pokemon of these types to bring into battle if they want to reign victorious.
On the flip side, the Legendary beast is resistant to Grass, Psychic, Ground, and Fighting types, so stay clear of those unless you want your butt handed to you on a plate.
Lugia counters
These are some of the best counters you can use to defeat this creature in Pokemon Go:
| POKEMON | SPRITE | BEST MOVESET |
|---|---|---|
| Dawn Wings Necrozma |  | Shadow Claw & Moongeist Beam |
| Mega Tyranitar |  | Bite & Brutal Swing |
| Mega Gengar |  | Lick & Shadow Ball |
| Shadow Raikou |  | Thunder Shock & Wild Charge |
| Shadow Magnezone |  | Volt Switch & Wild Charge |
| Zekrom |  | Charge Beam & Fusion Bolt |
| Xurkitree |  | Thunder Shock & Discharge |
| Rhyperior |  | Smack Down & Rock Wrecker |
| Electivire |  | Thunder Shock & Wild Charge |
| Hydreigon |  | Bite & Brutal Swing |
From Mega Evolutions to Legendaries and even regular Pokemon, the table above includes plenty of options to easily counter Lugia. Keep in mind that the team you take to battle has to be properly leveled up and know the matching moveset.
If you don’t have any of the Pokemon listed, just go with the strongest team you have that targets Lugia’s weaknesses.
How to get Lugia in Pokemon Go
The only way to obtain Lugia in Pokemon Go is through 5-Star raids. You’ll need to defeat the Legendary Pokemon and then attempt to catch it with the limited amount of Premier Balls given to you based on how you performed in the raid, and if you fail – tough luck, try again.
Thanks to the recent Raid rotations, Lugia is currently available and will remain so until November 18, 2024, when it will be replaced by Origin Forme Dialga and Origin Forme Palkia.
Additionally, Lugia will be featured in two Raid Hours, one on November 6 and the other on November 13.
Lugia CP in Pokemon Go
As with every Raid Boss in the game, the CP Lugia 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 | 45,925 |
| CP range once captured | 2028 – 2115 |
| Windy weather CP range | 2535 – 2645 |
| Field and Special Research CP range | 1521 – 1587 |
| Lugia max CP (Level 50) | 4186 |
Can Lugia be Shiny?
Yes, Lugia can be Shiny in Pokemon Go, as this variation debuted the same day the Legendary was added to the game.
NIANTIC/DEXERTOPlayers might be able to spot Shiny Lugia during its time as a Raid Boss and they can recognize it by the red details on its belly, eyes, and back.
However, keep in mind that there’s no way to secure a Shiny encounter and you must keep on challenging Lugia until you come around one and cross your fingers it stays inside the Premier Ball.
That’s everything you need to know about defeating Lugia in Pokemon Go. To become the ultimate trainer, check out the Best Pokemon for competitive play, as well as the Best Elite Fast TMs and the Best Elite Charged TMs. If you want your Pokemon to become your Buddy, learn How to get Best Buddy status.