Best Pokemon GO Attackers by Type

Shadow Mewtwo with Psystrike is widely considered the best generalist raid attacker thanks to its 374 Attack stat (the highest after Mega forms) and access to legacy Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Shadow Ball, and Focus Blast as coverage charged moves. Mega Rayquaza is the highest-DPS Mega attacker overall thanks to its 366 Attack stat and Dragon/Flying typing.

DPS (Damage Per Second) measures raw damage output per second. TDO (Total Damage Output) measures total damage dealt before fainting and rewards bulky attackers. eDPS (Effective DPS) is a composite metric calculated as (DPS³ × TDO)^0.25, which balances raw speed with survivability. Use DPS for time-attack raids, TDO for long fights with no revives, and eDPS for everyday raid roster decisions.

Power up Shadows first if you raid solo or in remote raid trains, since Shadows give you the highest personal DPS to clear faster. Power up Megas first if you raid in-person with friends or grind Mega Raid passes, since Megas boost the entire team’s damage by 33% for matching type and 10% for off-type. Ideally, you want both — Shadow for personal DPS and Mega for team uptime.

For group legendary raids, two fully-powered attackers per type at level 40 is enough. For duo and trio raids, you want six attackers per type to avoid revive cycles. Solo Mega Raids, Elite Raids, and Tier 5 Raid Hour grinds reward twelve attackers per type. Powering up Best Buddy attackers (level 51 with the +1 CPM boost) is the marginal upgrade for trainers chasing leaderboard solo clears.

Yes. Mega Pokemon provide a 33% Attack boost to all teammates of the same type and a 10% boost to all teammates regardless of type, plus increased catch CP, candy bonuses, and bonus XL Candy from the post-raid catch. The team-wide multiplier easily justifies the Mega Energy cost in any group raid. Mega Lucario, Mega Rayquaza, Mega Mewtwo Y, Mega Tyranitar, and Mega Houndoom are the highest-leverage Mega investments for general raid use.

Save Elite TMs for legacy moves that significantly upgrade your highest-tier attackers — Psystrike on Mewtwo, Aeroblast on Lugia, Sacred Fire on Ho-Oh, Outrage on Dragonite and Salamence, and Frenzy Plant or Blast Burn on missed starter Community Days. Avoid spending Elite TMs on Pokemon you do not have multiple high-IV copies of, since you will likely re-roll the Pokemon during future Community Days or Raid Days.

Level 40 is the standard maximum for raid attackers and the sweet spot for stardust efficiency. Level 50 (using XL Candy) gives an additional 8.5% damage and HP, which is meaningful for solo raids and remote raid trains. Best Buddy boost (level 51) gives another small upgrade. For everyday group raids, level 40 with a 90%+ IV spread is more than enough. Save XL Candy for your top three to four attackers per type rather than spreading it across an entire bench.

No. The difference between a 100% IV (15/15/15) attacker and an 80% IV attacker is roughly 1-2% in raid DPS. Attack IV matters more than Defense or Stamina for raid attackers since you are optimizing for damage, not survival. Trainers should prioritize moveset, level, and Shadow/Mega status over chasing 100% IVs. A 0/15/15 (max Attack) Shadow with the right moveset will outperform a 15/15/15 non-Shadow every time.