Poison type Poison Type Top 30 Updated

Best Poison Attackers — Pokemon GO

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

Super effective vs: Fairy type Fairy Grass type Grass

The Poison-type attacker tier list ranks the top 30 Pokemon by raid DPS in 2026. Use Poison-type attackers against Fairy, 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 Poison-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

3 Pokemon

1 Deoxys (Attack)
Deoxys (Attack)
20.129 DPS 289.86 TDO
F Poison Jab C Zap Cannon
2 Mega Gengar
Mega Gengar Mega
19.077 DPS 310.32 TDO
F Hex C Sludge Bomb
3 Shadow Darkrai
Shadow Darkrai Shadow
18.462 DPS 332.31 TDO
F Snarl C Sludge Bomb
A

A-Tier — Top Picks

5 Pokemon

4 Mega Beedrill
Mega Beedrill Mega
17.529 DPS 299.17 TDO
F Poison Jab C Sludge Bomb
5 Shadow Gengar
Shadow Gengar Shadow
17.077 DPS 277.78 TDO
F Hex C Sludge Bomb
6 Shadow Sneasler
Shadow Sneasler Shadow
16.621 DPS 332.41 TDO
F Poison Jab C Close Combat
7 Eternatus
Eternatus
16.118 DPS 453.44 TDO
F Poison Jab C Sludge Bomb
8 Shadow Overqwil
Shadow Overqwil Shadow
15.765 DPS 327.91 TDO
F Poison Jab C Sludge Bomb
B

B-Tier — Solid Options

7 Pokemon

9 Naganadel
Naganadel
15.647 DPS 289.99 TDO
F Poison Jab C Sludge Bomb
10 Shadow Conkeldurr
Shadow Conkeldurr Shadow
15.548 DPS 381.45 TDO
F Poison Jab C Focus Blast
11 Shadow Thundurus (Therian)
Shadow Thundurus (Therian) Shadow
15.429 DPS 304.46 TDO
F Volt Switch C Sludge Wave
12 Darkrai
Darkrai
15.385 DPS 276.92 TDO
F Snarl C Sludge Bomb
13 Keldeo (Ordinary)
Keldeo (Ordinary)
15.000 DPS 330.00 TDO
F Poison Jab C Sacred Sword
14 Keldeo (Resolute)
Keldeo (Resolute)
15.000 DPS 330.00 TDO
F Poison Jab C Sacred Sword
15 Mega Victreebel
Mega Victreebel Mega
14.933 DPS 298.67 TDO
F Acid C Sludge Bomb
C

C-Tier — Usable

15 Pokemon

16 Mega Venusaur
Mega Venusaur Mega
14.800 DPS 296.00 TDO
F Vine Whip C Sludge Bomb
17 Shadow Venusaur
Shadow Venusaur Shadow
14.667 DPS 293.33 TDO
F Vine Whip C Sludge Bomb
18 Shadow Toxicroak
Shadow Toxicroak Shadow
14.588 DPS 299.55 TDO
F Poison Jab C Sludge Bomb
19 Nihilego
Nihilego
14.471 DPS 364.66 TDO
F Poison Jab C Sludge Bomb
20 Gengar
Gengar
14.462 DPS 235.24 TDO
F Hex C Sludge Bomb
21 Shadow Sawk
Shadow Sawk Shadow
14.452 DPS 275.54 TDO
F Poison Jab C Focus Blast
22 Shadow Victreebel
Shadow Victreebel Shadow
14.400 DPS 288.00 TDO
F Acid C Sludge Bomb
23 Roserade
Roserade
14.353 DPS 233.47 TDO
F Poison Jab C Sludge Bomb
24 Shadow Scolipede
Shadow Scolipede Shadow
14.353 DPS 233.47 TDO
F Poison Jab C Sludge Bomb
25 Shadow Haunter
Shadow Haunter Shadow
14.154 DPS 190.61 TDO
F Astonish C Sludge Bomb
26 Sneasler
Sneasler
13.862 DPS 277.24 TDO
F Poison Jab C Close Combat
27 Zoroark
Zoroark
13.692 DPS 222.73 TDO
F Snarl C Sludge Bomb
28 Shadow Vileplume
Shadow Vileplume Shadow
13.600 DPS 259.31 TDO
F Acid C Sludge Bomb
29 Toxtricity
Toxtricity
13.412 DPS 255.72 TDO
F Poison Jab C Wild Charge
30 Zoroark (Hisuian)
Zoroark (Hisuian)
13.385 DPS 205.23 TDO
F Snarl C Sludge Bomb

Poison Type in Pokemon GO — Overview

Poison-type Pokemon GO is more famous for its PvP impact than its raid DPS. Poison attackers like Roserade, Toxicroak, Mega Beedrill, and Mega Gengar see consistent meta usage, and Poison-type moves are super-effective against Grass and Fairy. The Fairy weakness is especially important in Master League, where Xerneas and Crowned Zacian dominate. Signature Poison moves include Sludge Bomb, Sludge Wave, Gunk Shot, Poison Jab, and Acid Spray (the bait-king PvP move). Poison types are weak to Ground and Psychic, with most dual-type Poison Pokemon (Grass/Poison, Bug/Poison) carrying additional weaknesses that complicate raid planning.

Top Poison Attackers Explained

The top Poison attackers are Mega Beedrill, Mega Gengar, Roserade, Shadow Victreebel, and Shadow Roserade. Mega Beedrill with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb has one of the cheapest Mega Energy costs in the game, making it the go-to budget Mega Poison attacker. Roserade with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb is the strongest non-Mega Poison option. Shadow Victreebel, Shadow Vileplume, and Shadow Roserade all sit near the top of the Shadow Poison tier. Toxicroak (Poison/Fighting) flexes as a Fighting raider too. Naganadel (Ultra Beast Poison/Dragon) brings unique typing to specialty roles.

Poison Attackers in PvP & GO Battle League

Poison types are PvP heavyweights. Toxicroak with Counter and Mud Bomb dominates Great League. Skuntank (Poison/Dark), Nidoqueen (Poison/Ground), Galarian Slowking (Poison/Psychic), and Drapion (Poison/Dark) anchor open league cores. In Ultra League, Roserade, Toxicroak, Skuntank, and Drapion continue. In Master League, Mega Gengar and Naganadel flex into anti-Fairy roles. Acid Spray Mantine, Acid Spray Roserade, and Sludge Bomb meta picks define the “bait” strategy — Acid Spray cuts opposing Defense by two stages, enabling chains of charged moves. Galarian Slowking with Future Sight is a unique anti-meta Master League pick.

Matchups, Weaknesses & When to Field Poison Attackers

Poison attackers shine against Grass (Tangrowth, Mega Sceptile, Kartana) and Fairy (Xerneas, Togekiss, Crowned Zacian). They are 1.6× weak to Ground and Psychic — and Bulbasaur-line Pokemon (Grass/Poison) take 4× damage from Psychic moves. Cloudy weather does NOT boost Poison; instead Cloudy boosts Fighting, Grass, and Fairy. Use Mega Beedrill in Sunny weather to maximize damage output. Avoid Poison attackers against Garchomp, Excadrill, Mewtwo, and Mega Latios — these counters one-shot most Poison glass cannons. Poison is also unique in that it deals super-effective damage to Fairy, which is otherwise immune to Dragon, making it a Master League meta-buster.

Community Day Picks & Notable Poison Investments

Poison Community Days have included Bulbasaur (Grass/Poison) with Frenzy Plant, Weedle → Beedrill with Drill Run, Ekans → Arbok with Iron Tail, Grimer → Muk (and Alolan Muk) with Lick, Trubbish → Garbodor with Gunk Shot, Salandit → Salazzle with Disarming Voice, and Poipole → Naganadel during a paid event. Mega Beedrill was the second Mega ever released in 2020 and remains the cheapest Mega in the game. Mega Gengar and Mega Venusaur appear in regular Mega Raid rotations. Galarian Slowking added Poison/Psychic typing in 2022 with Future Sight, an instant Master League meta shake-up.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

Which raid bosses should I use Poison attackers against?

Poison-type attacks deal super-effective damage to Fairy, Grass-type Pokemon, so use Poison 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 Poison-type attacker in Pokemon GO?

Mega Beedrill is the best Mega-tier Poison attacker thanks to its low Mega Energy cost and decent DPS. Roserade with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb is the top non-Mega Poison option. Mega Gengar (Ghost/Poison) is technically a stronger Poison Mega but is more often used for its Ghost typing.

Why is Poison good against Fairy?

Poison-type moves deal 1.6× damage to Fairy types, and Fairy is one of the strongest Master League typings (Xerneas, Crowned Zacian, Togekiss). Poison is one of only two types that hit Fairy super-effectively (the other being Steel), making Poison attackers crucial for taking down Fairy raid bosses and Master League PvP teams.

What are Poison types weak to?

Poison types take 1.6× damage from Ground and Psychic moves. Grass/Poison types like Venusaur and Roserade specifically take 4× damage from Psychic moves due to dual type stacking. Mewtwo, Mega Latios, and Espeon are the main Psychic counters; Garchomp, Excadrill, and Therian Landorus handle the Ground side.

Which Pokemon learn Acid Spray?

Acid Spray is a low-energy Poison-type charged move that lowers the opponent’s Defense by two stages. It is available on Mantine, Roserade, Skrelp/Dragalge, Toxapex, and several other Poison-types. Acid Spray is the centerpiece of "bait spam" strategies in Great and Ultra League PvP.

What weather boosts Poison-type moves?

Cloudy weather boosts Poison-type moves by 1.2× alongside Fighting, Grass, and Fairy. Cloudy windows are the optimal time to grind Poison wild spawns and run Mega Beedrill or Roserade in raids. The IV floor for wild Poison Pokemon also rises in Cloudy weather.

Related

Poison Type Pokedex

All Poison-type Pokemon with stats and moves.

Raid Counters

Best counters for every current raid boss.

PvP Tier Lists

Great, Ultra, and Master League rankings.