Flying type Flying Type Top 30 Updated

Best Flying Attackers — Pokemon GO

Top 30 Flying-type raid attackers ranked by DPS with best movesets and tier rankings.

Super effective vs: Bug type Bug Fighting type Fighting Grass type Grass

The Flying-type attacker tier list ranks the top 30 Pokemon by raid DPS in 2026. Use Flying-type attackers against Bug, Fighting, Grass-type raid bosses. Shadow Pokemon deal 20% more damage, while Mega evolutions boost the entire raid team.

Rankings are calculated by simulating every possible fast and charged move combination for each Pokemon at level 40 against a generic Tier 5 raid boss. We measure DPS (Damage Per Second), TDO (Total Damage Output before fainting), and eDPS (a composite metric that balances raw damage with survivability). The final ranking weighs type-specific DPS at 70% and overall DPS at 30%, so Pokemon with strong same-type moves are prioritized while off-type coverage is still rewarded.

How We Calculate Raid DPS Rankings

Our raid attacker rankings simulate actual battle performance using Pokemon GO's damage formula. Here's how each metric is computed:

DPS — Damage Per Second

Calculated using the Pokemon GO damage formula: floor(0.5 × Power × Atk/Def × STAB) + 1. We simulate a full attack cycle (enough fast moves to charge one charged move) and divide total damage by cycle time. Higher DPS means faster raid clears.

TDO — Total Damage Output

Total damage dealt before fainting, calculated as DPS × Time Alive. Survival time is based on the Pokemon's effective HP and the boss's estimated damage output. TDO rewards bulky Pokemon that stay in the fight longer and need fewer revives.

eDPS — Effective DPS

A composite metric: (DPS³ × TDO)0.25. This balances raw speed with durability — a glass cannon with sky-high DPS but terrible TDO gets penalized, while a tanky attacker that's too slow also won't rank well. eDPS identifies the best all-round raiders.

STAB & Move Selection

Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) adds a 1.2× multiplier when a move's type matches the Pokemon's type. At least one move must be Flying-type to qualify. We test every fast + charged combination and select the one with the highest ranking score.

Shadow & Mega Variants

Shadow Pokemon receive a 20% Attack boost with a ~17% Defense penalty, making them high-DPS glass cannons. Mega Pokemon are evaluated with their boosted base stats. Both variants are ranked alongside regular forms so you can compare them directly.

Tier Assignment

Pokemon are placed into tiers based on how their DPS compares to the #1 attacker:

S-Tier: Top 5% or Top 3 A-Tier: Top 15% or Top 8 B-Tier: Top 25% or Top 15 C-Tier: Top 35% or Top 22 D-Tier: Remaining

All simulations use level 40 stats (CPM 0.7903) against a generic Tier 5 raid boss with 160 effective Defense. Rankings are recalculated daily to reflect the latest move updates and balance changes.

S

S-Tier — Best in Class

6 Pokemon

A

A-Tier — Top Picks

14 Pokemon

B

B-Tier — Solid Options

10 Pokemon

Flying Type in Pokemon GO — Overview

Flying-type Pokemon GO is rarely a primary attacking type because Flying-only Pokemon are extremely rare — most Flying types are dual-typed (Flying/Normal, Flying/Dragon, Flying/Steel, Flying/Electric). However, Flying moves are super-effective against Grass, Fighting, and Bug, making them niche but valuable raid picks. Top Flying attackers like Mega Rayquaza, Mega Pidgeot, Moltres, and Yveltal use Flying STAB to clean up Bug and Fighting raid bosses. Signature Flying moves include Fly, Hurricane, Sky Attack, Brave Bird, Aeroblast (Lugia exclusive), and Air Slash. Flying types are weak to Electric, Ice, and Rock, with Rock being especially common as a counter type.

Top Flying Attackers Explained

The top Flying attackers are Mega Rayquaza, Shadow Moltres, Mega Pidgeot, Yveltal, and Therian Tornadus. Mega Rayquaza with Air Slash and Aerial Ace (or signature Hurricane) has the highest Flying DPS in the game, also doubling as the top Dragon attacker. Shadow Moltres with Wing Attack and Sky Attack is the best non-Mega Flying attacker. Mega Pidgeot is the cheapest Mega Flying attacker and a great budget pick. Yveltal (Dark/Flying) brings unique Dark-Flying coverage. Mega Salamence and Mega Charizard Y flex between Flying and Dragon/Fire roles. Staraptor, Honchkrow, and Talonflame are Community-Day-tuned budget options.

Flying Attackers in PvP & GO Battle League

Flying types in PvP rely heavily on dual-type advantages. Talonflame (Fire/Flying) with Incinerate and Brave Bird dominates Great League. Mandibuzz (Dark/Flying) is one of the most-used Ultra League picks ever. Skarmory (Steel/Flying) with Sky Attack remains a Great League legend. Altaria (Dragon/Flying), Charizard, and Mega Pidgeot flex into Master League. Galarian Articuno (Psychic/Flying), Galarian Zapdos (Fighting/Flying), and Galarian Moltres (Dark/Flying) bring Daily Adventure Incense exclusives that disrupt the meta. Yveltal and Mega Rayquaza are Master League fixtures alongside Crowned Zacian and Origin Forme Dialga.

Matchups, Weaknesses & When to Field Flying Attackers

Flying attackers shine against Grass (Tangrowth, Kartana, Mega Sceptile), Fighting (Conkeldurr, Lucario, Terrakion), and Bug (Genesect, Volcarona, Scizor). They are 1.6× weak to Electric, Ice, and Rock — with Rock being the most common counter type. Mega Pidgeot, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Rayquaza all melt to Tyranitar and Rhyperior in 4× weakness scenarios. Windy weather boosts Flying moves by 1.2× and is the optimal weather for Flying raids. Avoid Flying attackers against Mega Manectric, Therian Thundurus, Galarian Darmanitan, and Mega Diancie. Flying is also one of the best types to use against Genesect (Bug/Steel) due to dual super-effective hits via Aerial Ace.

Community Day Picks & Notable Flying Investments

Flying Community Days have included Pidgey → Pidgeot with Brave Bird, Spearow → Fearow with Drill Run, Hoothoot → Noctowl with Sky Attack, Wingull → Pelipper, Starly → Staraptor with Gust, Pidove → Unfezant, Rufflet → Braviary with Brave Bird, and Fletchling → Talonflame with Incinerate. Mega Pidgeot has the cheapest Flying Mega Energy cost. Moltres Raid Days have unlocked Sky Attack and the legacy Flamethrower. Mega Rayquaza arrived in 2024 and is universally considered the best Flying and Dragon attacker in the game. Yveltal’s 2024 raid debut introduced Dark Pulse and Hurricane as a unique Dark/Flying combination.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the #1 ranked Flying-type attacker right now?

Based on our DPS simulations, Shadow Salamence currently ranks first among Flying-type attackers in Pokemon GO, followed by Shadow Salamence, Mega Rayquaza, Shadow Zapdos (Galarian). The full tier list above shows every viable Flying attacker with its optimal moveset, DPS, TDO, and eDPS values.

Which raid bosses should I use Flying attackers against?

Flying-type attacks deal super-effective damage to Bug, Fighting, Grass-type Pokemon, so use Flying attackers when those types appear in 5-Star, Mega, Elite, or Primal raids. Always weather-check the boss before launching the raid to maximize damage with the appropriate weather boost.

What is the best Flying-type attacker in Pokemon GO?

Mega Rayquaza is the strongest Flying attacker in the game thanks to its 366 Attack stat (the highest of any released Pokemon) and access to Hurricane. Shadow Moltres is the best non-Mega option, and Mega Pidgeot is the cheapest Mega Energy investment for budget Flying raids.

Why is Flying good against Bug and Fighting?

Flying-type moves deal 1.6× damage to Bug and Fighting types, both of which are common raid bosses. Mega Rayquaza and Mega Pidgeot can clear Genesect, Volcarona, Conkeldurr, and Terrakion raids extremely efficiently. Flying is also super-effective against Grass, making it useful against Tangrowth and Mega Sceptile raids.

What are Flying types weak to?

Flying types take 1.6× damage from Electric, Ice, and Rock moves. Pure Rock counters like Tyranitar, Rhyperior, and Rampardos hit most Flying types for 4× damage when paired with Flying/Bug or Flying/Ice secondary typings. Use Rock attackers to counter Flying raid bosses efficiently.

Is Mega Pidgeot worth using in raids?

Yes. Mega Pidgeot has one of the cheapest Mega Energy costs in the game and provides a meaningful Mega boost to Flying-type raids against Bug and Fighting bosses. It is one of the most cost-efficient Megas to keep evolved during Mega Raid grind sessions.

What weather boosts Flying-type moves?

Windy weather boosts Flying-type moves by 1.2× and increases catch CP and IV floor for wild Flying spawns. Windy also boosts Dragon and Psychic moves. Windy windows are the optimal time to power-grind Pidgey, Starly, and Fletchling Community Days and to run Mega Pidgeot or Mega Rayquaza in raids.

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