Rayquaza, the god-tier dragon pokemon, returns to Pokemon Go throughout August 2019. While not the most aesthetically pleasing dragon out there, it’s hard to deny just how cool Rayquaza’s debut was over 15 years ago. A mysterious serpent living in the ozone layer, descending only to tell two other legendary pokemon to pack it in with the harsh weather, before flying back up to fight meteor aliens? Come on. That’s pretty cool!
Rayquaza was the king back then and it still is now. It’s back for a whole month of raiding, with a sleek and sexy black shiny Rayquaza in tow. The landscape has changed quite a bit since its last appearance, though, making even duo raids a fairly easy prospect for players hoarding ice-type Pokemon. But that doesn’t stop Rayquaza from ruling the raid roost thanks to its dual typing and access to double STAB (same-type attack bonus) movesets.
In this guide we’re going to go into deep detail about how to counter, beat, and catch Rayquaza in Pokemon Go. We’ll also talk about just why you should stock up on this snake for your future raid endeavors.
Shiny Rayquaza Raid Dates and Deals – Pokemon Go Guide
Rayquaza returned to Pokemon Go raids on July 31, 2019. The end date is currently set for Sept. 2, 2019.
Newcomers should know this isn’t Rayquaza’s first rodeo. It appeared as a raid boss during the high of Gen 3 last year. Then it briefly returned shortly after Mamoswine community day to prove the beast’s worth. This longer re-emergence comes with one key difference, however: the long-awaited Shiny Rayquaza release date. Check out our shiny section for concrete odds of finding it!
If you’re looking to stockpile Rayquaza or just find that perfect IV/CP (2191 or 2739 w/ weather), the current Ultra Box should be your go-to purchase for raid passes. You can purchase 1480 coins, which gets you 17 raid passes alongside a bunch of Super Incubators and Star Pieces. Those will serve you well during the Gift event on Aug. 5 or the Go Fest bonus later in the month.
Rayquaza Pokemon Go – Why You Need It On Your Team
Even with Dialga and Palkia out in the wild right now, Rayquaza still stomps them for raw damage. It’s like a supercharged Dragonite or Garchomp. It manages a peak CP of 3835, affording it an attack stat that puts it up there as the eighth strongest attacker in the game right now. Paired with decent defense and above-average HP, the only place Rayquaza gets reduced to a glass cannon is in hardcore PvP. Although it’s still a comfortable Tier 1 addition to your team even there.
Rayquaza also benefits from its dual Dragon/Flying typing. So letting it roll with Ancient Power might set it up as a prime counter to future Ho-Oh raids. Otherwise that’s just a waste of its talents.
Instead, having access to two Flying and Dragon-type moves apiece allows it to run double STAB movesets on either side of the spectrum. There aren’t many reasons to go Air Slash/Aerial Ace until Volcarona shows up in Gen 5. You either want to stockpile Dragon Tail/Outrage to beat down other Dragon-type raids, or Air Slash/Outrage for better overall coverage.
Rayquaza Raid Counters – August 2019
Despite Pokemon GO benefiting from the addition of Fairy-type Pokemon long before Rayquaza’s initial appearance in the franchise, the lack of powerful attackers in that circle make Ice and Dragon-types far better Rayquaza raid counters. Ice easily wins here due to being super-effective against both Rayquaza’s types. That’s a mighty 4x weakness to Ice.
Anyone at or above Level 25 (and able to fill their team with full ice moveset Mamoswine or Ice Beam Mewtwo) can rock in without too much worry. Players around level 30 can also look to the following:
• Weavile (Ice Shard / Avalanche)
• Jynx (Frost Breath / Avalanche)
• Articuno (Frost Breath / Ice Beam)
• Cloyster (Frost Breath / Avalanche)
• Rampardos (Smack Down / Rock Slide)
• Porygon-Z (Hidden Power Ice / Blizzard)
When you climb to 35 and beyond, more defense-oriented Ice-type Pokemon like Lapras and Walrein become viable counters. Even other Dragon-types like Salamence and your own Rayquaza — who would usually get knocked down by the weakness toward their own kind — can join the fight here.
At level 40, more dragons like Latios, Dragonite and the Palkia/Dialga duo can work; as can lesser ice-types like Glalie/Froslass, and Alolan Pokemon. Dragon and Ice-type moves are the go-to here. Rock-types like Rampardos only work due to the individual’s monstrous ATK and slight type advantage.
Rayquaza Raid Suggested Group Size
Before the Mamoswine days, Rayquaza was a real tough cookie. There weren’t many Ice-type Pokemon up to the task of knocking this thing down before seeing stars themselves.
With the introduction of Gen 4, and the semi-recent stat re-balance, however, beating up this stretchy snake is far, far easier than before. In fact, it’s entirely possible for a team of two to utterly trounce it with the right setup and prep work.
If you’re joining a random group in your nearest city, expect to win the Rayquaza raid battle with ease. Most people starting these fights are pretty confident in their ability to do it without much external help. You should have a pretty easy time beating this alongside them, so long as there isn’t an imbalance of experienced vs inexperienced players feeding Rayquaza HP with quick kills on an unprepared team. With two or three teams of counters for every one random under Level 20, this should be a quick and easy kill with great rewards!
If you’re above Level 25 (30 to be sure) and happen to have a team of Mamoswine / Mewtwo on hand, finding another like-minded player can enable a fairly easy duo job. That’s right! It’s entirely possible to two-person this elusive 5* raid with the right composition. Just watch out for Outrage Rayquaza, as it still packs a mighty punch.
Rayquaza Raid Catch Rates – Pokemon Go Guide
Base Rayquaza catch rates are astronomically low at around 1-2 percent, but having the relevant medals maxed out and landing a Great or Excellent curveball throw with a Golden Razz in effect will bring it up to a more reasonable 10-12 percent.
The rates aren’t great, sure, but with a dozen or so premier balls on hand, Rayquaza still shouldn’t elude you. Just be sure to time your throws well. Our soundest advice is to aim for its head, spin as it attacks, and throw as its head reels back. It’s a fast attack animation, so you shouldn’t run into too much trouble with invincibility frames.
Shiny Rayquaza Rates
The big thing about Rayquaza returning is actually less about having a chance to catch a powerful Pokemon. It’s way more about finally catching the shiny variant! Shiny Rayquaza drops the primary green coloring for a striking and devious black hue.
As with previous shiny legendary raids, the Rayquaza shiny rate stands at 1/20 (1 in 20). You might meet this elusive creature on your first attempt or your 40th attempt, but the rate remains the same. Good luck!
