Water

Best Water attackers

Every Water-type raid attacker ranked by DPS and total damage output, with the moveset that gets there.

Super effective vs FireGroundRock
Top DPS
20.4
Primal Kyogre
Top TDO
467
Waterfall + Origin Pulse
Ranked
30
Updated

Editor's notes

Water offense, where it matters and what to build.

Water type in Pokemon GO

Water is the most populated type in Pokemon GO with more than 170 released species, ranging from kiddie-pool Magikarp to oceanic legendaries like Kyogre, Palkia, and Manaphy. Water attackers handle three of the most common raid weaknesses — Fire, Rock, and Ground — making them universally useful and beginner-friendly. Water moves are also resisted by relatively few types (Water, Grass, Dragon), so they rarely deal “neutral disaster” damage. Signature Water moves include Hydro Cannon (the starter Community Day move), Surf, Hydro Pump, Origin Pulse (Primal Kyogre exclusive), and Aqua Tail. Water types are weak to Electric and Grass, both of which are extremely common attacking types in PvP.

Top Water attackers explained

Primal Kyogre and Mega Swampert top the Water attacker tier list, with Kyogre, Mega Blastoise, Mega Gyarados, and Shadow Swampert close behind. Kyogre with Waterfall and Surf or Origin Pulse is the long-standing benchmark Water raider. Mega Swampert combines Hydro Cannon STAB with the Mega Attack multiplier to surpass non-Mega Kyogre on shorter raids. Shadow Feraligatr, Shadow Swampert, and Shadow Empoleon (also Steel) round out the Shadow tier. Greninja, Empoleon, Samurott, Inteleon, and Quaquaval bring Community-Day-tuned Water DPS at lower investment cost. Sharpedo (Water/Dark) flexes between roles thanks to Crunch.

Water in GO Battle League

Water types own the Great and Ultra League meta. Swampert with Hydro Cannon and Sludge Wave dominates open Great League. Lanturn (Water/Electric), Azumarill (Water/Fairy), Quagsire (Water/Ground), and Carbink-killer Empoleon are core picks. In Ultra League, Swampert, Walrein, Cresselia counters like Mandibuzz, and Pelipper see consistent usage. In Master League, Kyogre, Palkia, Origin Forme Palkia, Mega Swampert, and Gyarados lead the Water charge. Specialty cups frequently allow only Water types — formats like Element Cup and Sunshine Cup favor Lanturn, Marshtomp, and Toxicroak counters. Greninja brings unique Dark coverage with Night Slash.

When to field Water attackers

Water attackers shine against Fire (Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, Reshiram), Rock (Tyranitar, Rhyperior), and Ground (Garchomp, Excadrill). They are 1.6× weak to Electric and Grass, and 2.56× weak when those moves are paired with weather boost. Rainy weather amplifies Water by 1.2× and is the optimal raiding window. Avoid Water types in Foggy or Cloudy windows where opposing Grass or Fairy attackers are likely buffed. Many Water Pokemon are dual-typed, which can help (Water/Steel like Empoleon resists Electric) or hurt (Water/Flying like Gyarados takes 4× from Electric). Always check secondary typing before committing six Water raiders to a fight.

Community Day picks & notable investments

Water Community Days have produced legacy moves that define the meta: Squirtle, Totodile, Mudkip, Piplup, Oshawott, Froakie, Popplio, and Sobble all unlocked Hydro Cannon as their CD charged move, vaulting Swampert, Empoleon, and Greninja into raid relevance. Magikarp Community Day in 2018 introduced Aqua Tail Gyarados. Kyogre received a Raid Day in 2024 that unlocked the long-awaited Origin Pulse legacy move. Primal Kyogre debuted as a Primal Raid in 2024, immediately taking the Water DPS crown. Mega Blastoise, Mega Gyarados, and Mega Swampert appear regularly in Mega Raid rotations, and Shadow Swampert is one of the most highly-prized Shadow farms in the game.

FAQ

What is the #1 ranked Water-type attacker right now?
Based on our DPS simulations, Primal Kyogre currently ranks first among Water-type attackers in Pokemon GO, followed by Primal Kyogre, Shadow Palkia (Origin), Shadow Palkia. The full tier list above shows every viable Water attacker with its optimal moveset, DPS, TDO, and eDPS values.
Which raid bosses should I use Water attackers against?
Water-type attacks deal super-effective damage to Fire, Ground, Rock-type Pokemon, so use Water 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 Water-type attacker in Pokemon GO?
Primal Kyogre is the strongest Water attacker available, followed by Mega Swampert (with Hydro Cannon), Kyogre, Mega Blastoise, and Shadow Swampert. For trainers without Megas, Kyogre with Waterfall and Surf remains the gold standard for Water raids and is widely available during Raid Hour rotations.
What are Water types weak to?
Water types take 1.6× damage from Electric and Grass moves. With weather boost, this rises to 2.56×. Common Water counters include Mega Manectric, Zekrom, Xurkitree, Therian Thundurus, Mega Sceptile, Kartana, and Tangrowth. Fog and Rainy windows are the riskiest weather conditions for fielding Water raiders.
Is Kyogre still good in 2026?
Yes. Kyogre remains one of the top three Water attackers in the game and is the most accessible legendary Water option since it has been re-run in 5-Star raids multiple times. Powering up two Kyogre with Waterfall and Surf (or Origin Pulse via Elite TM) gives you a complete Water attacker core for any raid roster.
Which Water starter is the best for raids?
Swampert with Mud Shot and Hydro Cannon is the best Water starter overall, especially in its Mega and Shadow forms. Empoleon (Water/Steel) ranks second thanks to dual-type utility, and Greninja brings PvP-focused niche damage. All Water starters access Hydro Cannon through Community Day or Elite TM.

Explore more

Water Pokedex Every Water-type Pokemon with stats and moves Raid bosses Counters for every boss in rotation All attacking types Best attackers for the other 17 types