Pokemon Go Shadow Heatran Raid Guide: Weaknesses & best counters

The Legendary Heatran from the Sinnoh region will get its Shadow variant during an upcoming Pokemon Go event, so you need to learn the best counters and movesets to take down Shadow Heatran fast.

Heatran is a dual Fire/Steel-type Legendary from Gen 4 that became very popular among fans due to its many resistances, which make it a pretty useful Pokemon to battle with.

During the upcoming Galarian Expedition: Taken Over event, Shadow Heatran will debut as Team Go Rocket Boss Giovanni‘s newest catch. So, if you want to rescue this mighty Pokemon, here are the best counters you can use.

Shadow Heatran weaknesses in Pokemon Go

As mentioned above, Shadow Heatran is a dual Fire/Steel-type Pokemon, which means it’s weak to Ground, Fighting, and Water-type attacks, so you can pick some of those to deal super effective damage and quickly deplete its HP.

However, you should know that it is resistant to Bug, Fairy, Grass, Ice, Poison, Steel, Dragon, Flying, Normal, and Psychic-type moves, so avoid using them, as they won’t deal much damage at all.

Shadow Heatran counters in Pokemon Go

Here are the best counters to use against this Shadow Boss in Niantic’s mobile game:

POKEMON	SPRITE	BEST MOVESET
Primal Groudon		Mud Shot & Precipice Blades
Primal Kyogre		Waterfall & Origin Pulse
Mega Garchomp		Mud Shot & Earth Power
Shadow Excadrill		Mud Shot & Scorching Sands
Shadow Rhyperior		Mud-Slap & Earthquake
Landorus Therian Forme		Mud Shot & Sandsear Storm
Swampert		Mud Shot & Earthquake
Hippowdon		Sand Attack & Scorching Sands
Flygon		Mud Shot & Scorching Sands
Gyarados		Waterfall & Hydro Pump

We’ve included a mix of Megas, Legendaries, Shadow, and more common Pokemon in the table above, so there should be something for trainers of all levels.

If you don’t have any of the creatures listed, use your strongest Pokemon that target your opponent’s weaknesses. Just remember that even though their attacks will be super effective, they still need to be properly leveled up.

How to get Shadow Heatran in Pokemon Go

Currently, the only way players can catch Shadow Heatran in Pokemon Go is by completing the Special Research from the Galarian Expedition: Taken Over event.

Niantic/Pokemon Company

The event will run from October 8, 2024, at midnight until October 11, 2024, at 8:00 PM local time. This means players will have plenty of time to finish the Special Research Task, get their Super Rocket Radar, and get their encounter with Giovanni and Shadow Heatran.

For those worried about the time window, once you claim the Special Research at the beginning of the event, you’ll have until the end of the Max Out season – December 3, 2024 – to complete it.

Can Shadow Heatran be Shiny in Pokemon Go?

Even though regular Heatran’s Shiny version has been part of the game since 2020, Shadow Heatran cannot be Shiny in Pokemon Go.

Due to the Galarian Expedition: Taken Over event being this variation’s debut, it’s no surprise that Shiny Shadow Heatran is not available yet.

That’s all you need to know about Shadow Heatran’s weaknesses and best counters in Pokemon Go. For more content on the game, check out our event schedule and the current Raid boss line-up.