Shadow Raid Guide: Best Counters & Strategies

Shadow Raids are the best source of high-IV Shadow Pokemon in Pokemon GO. Here's every current boss and its optimal counters.

Current Shadow Raid Bosses

Boss	Tier	Best Counter	# of Players
Shadow Mewtwo	5	Darkrai (Dark)	6+
Shadow Moltres	5	Rampardos (Rock)	4+
Shadow Zapdos	5	Rhyperior (Rock)	4+
Shadow Articuno	5	Metagross (Steel)	3+
Shadow Tyranitar	3	Machamp (Fighting)	1-2 solo

Purification vs Keeping Shadow

Keep Shadow if:

• The Pokemon is meta-relevant (Mewtwo, Metagross)
• You want max DPS for raids
• You have enough stardust (100k+ to power up)

Purify if:

• The IVs are low (purify boosts to 13/13/13 minimum)
• The Pokemon is useless in the meta
• You need a hundo for your collection

Optimal Team vs Shadow Mewtwo
1. Darkrai (Snarl + Dark Pulse) -- L40
2. Tyranitar (Bite + Crunch) -- L35+
3. Weavile (Snarl + Avalanche) -- L35+
4. Gengar (Lick + Shadow Ball) -- L40 (glass cannon)
5. Mega Gyarados (Bite + Crunch) -- Mega boost team

Important for SEA players: Shadow raids in this region are harder to find (fewer gyms, fewer players). Join your local Campfire community. The best times to raid are 6-7 PM local -- that's when most SEA communities organize raid parties. Also, Purified Gems are essential for the enrage mechanic -- farm them from 1-star shadow raids before attempting 5-star ones.