The Season of Mischief is upon us, and the Legendary Pokemon Hoopa has appeared in Pokemon GO! While they’re not a raid boss, alongside Hoopa came a new wave of Raid Bosses – a Lugia re-run and Mega Slowbro!. Longtime Pokemon GO players will already be well familiar with Lugia – a Flying / Psychic type with access to Hydro Pump and Dragon Tail – and will already know what to do. But, if this is your first go-around with the Legendary Johto Bird, we’ve got the best counters for you down below.
Perhaps not surprising to many, Mega Pokemon tend to take center stage – however, if you don’t have access to a good Mega, we’ve got a substitution list available for you! This list excludes Shadow Pokemon, due to their increased difficulty to obtain and cost to train, but if you have a Shadow version of the below, you can assume that it will work just as well (or better!)
Lugia Weaknesses & Strengths
As a Psychic Flying Pokemon, Lugia has the following weaknesses and strengths:
- Weaknesses: Rock, Ghost, Electric, Ice, Dark
- Strengths: Grass, Psychic, Fighting, Ground
Best Lugia Counters
Mega-Gengar
Shocking absolutely nobody, the strongest Ghost attacker in the game is a sure pick for dealing with Psychic Raid Bosses. M-Gengar is a little frail, so you have to be careful when a Charged Attack is coming out, but otherwise you can expect to deal huge chunks of damage with this beast alone. You want Lick and Shadow Ball for maximum DPS.
Mega-Manectric
This Electric-type really doles out the hurt to Lugia – a high attack value with decent bulk means it can sit in combat a little bit longer than some of the other choices on this list. Thunder Fang and Wild Charge are the go-to moves for Manectric.
Mega-Houndoom
Mega-Houndoom sadly doesn’t see a lot of use traditionally, and particularly against Lugia, is kind of a side pick more than a main pick. Due to its weakness to Water (something Lugia has a chance to have in Hydro Pump), M-Houndoom can get removed from the field pretty quickly. With Snarl and Foul Play, however, you can ensure you deal plenty of damage on the way out.
Mega-Gyarados
Another top-tier Mega form, M-Gyarados with Bite and Crunch can rip through Lugia with ease. Coupled with Water typing, Mega-Gyarados can resist Lugia for the most part though the Legendary bird can still chip away with Flying and Dragon attacks.
Zekrom
Dragon / Electric typing makes Zekrom the perfect counter to Flying types, but Zekrom can still get chunked heavily by Lugia’s Dragon Tail, and hit normally by Sky Attack, so extra care is needed. Charge Beam and Wild Charge are your weapons of choice.
Thundurus
Thundurus being both Electric and Flying type makes this a natural choice to use against Lugia. However, Thundurus is a little on the frail side. Get in, do your damage, and expect to swap to another Pokemon soon after. Volt Switch and Thunderbolt are the best move options.
Alternate Choices
Not everyone has Mega Evolution energy ready to burn on these fights, and likewise, if you missed out on Zekrom, Thundurus, or even budget option Raikou, you may be wondering what your options are. Here are your best non-Mega, non-Legendary, and non-Shadow options!
Chandelure
Ghost / Fire typing makes Chandelure a risky substitution for Gengar. Expect to do a lot of damage, and if Lugia is packing Hydro Pump, consider your Chandelure toast. You want Hex and Shadow Ball on this Pokemon.
Galarian-Darmanitan
Good ol’ G-Darm will really hurt Lugia with Ice Fang and Avalanche, but be careful, as it can be on the frail side sometimes!
Magnezone
A Magnezone rocking Spark and Wild Charge can do solid damage against Lugia, however, the real beauty is Magnezone’s bulk — ol’ sturdy here can sit in battle for quite a while.
Rampardos
A little surprising, to be sure, but Rampardos can really chunk Lugia’s health. And if Lugia isn’t packing Hydro Pump, won’t be able to revenge kill Rampardos easily. Use Smack Down and Rock Slide. An acceptable alternative is Rhyperior, if you have one, but make sure it’s using Rock Wrecker.
There you have it, trainers! That’s our counter list for Lugia. We wish you the best of luck in the Season of Mischief, and in gathering a hopefully good Legendary! While you’re here, maybe check out some of our ongoing Pokemon GO! coverage?
