Honedge Raid Counters
Best counters and strategies to beat Honedge in Pokemon GO raids.
How to Beat Honedge
Honedge is a 1-Star Raids raid boss in Pokemon GO with steel/ghost typing. The best counter is Shadow Landorus (Therian) (Shadow) with Mud Shot and Sandsear Storm, dealing 48.182 DPS. Honedge's shiny form is available from raid encounters.
Honedge can be defeated by a minimum of 2 trainers using optimal counters at level 40+. We recommend 4+ trainers for a comfortable win, especially if your team isn't fully powered up.
Type strategy: Honedge is weak to Dark, Fire, Ghost, Ground -type attacks. Avoid using Normal, Poison, Bug-type moves as Honedge resists them. Focus your team on the highest DPS counters from the list below — even budget options without Shadow or Mega forms perform well in larger groups.
Top 3 counters: The strongest lineup against Honedge is Shadow Landorus (Therian) (48.182 DPS), Mega Gengar (47.867 DPS), and Mega Blaziken (47.684 DPS). Shadow variants deal 20% more damage but take 20% more — worth it for short-man attempts.
Catching Honedge: After defeating Honedge, the catch encounter will have a CP between 760 and 814 at level 20. With weather boost, the range is 946-1012 at level 25. A perfect 100% IV Honedge from raids will have exactly 814 CP — look for that number! Use Golden Razz Berries and Excellent curveball throws to maximize your catch rate.
Quick Stats
Weak To
Best Counters
Budget Counters (No Shadow / No Mega)
Catch CP
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best counters for Honedge?
The best counter for Honedge is Shadow Landorus (Therian) with Mud Shot and Sandsear Storm, dealing 48.182 DPS. Other top options include Mega Gengar (47.867 DPS) and Mega Blaziken (47.684 DPS).
How many trainers to beat Honedge?
Honedge can be defeated by a minimum of 2 high-level trainers with optimal counters. We recommend 4+ trainers for a comfortable win. In public lobbies, 5-6 is a safe number.
What is Honedge weak to?
Honedge is weak to Dark, Fire, Ghost, Ground-type attacks. It resists Normal, Poison, Bug, Dragon, Fairy, Fighting, Flying, Grass, Ice, Psychic, Rock, Steel-type moves, so avoid those.
Can Honedge be shiny in Pokemon GO?
Yes! Honedge's shiny form is available from raid encounters. The shiny rate for legendary raids is approximately 1 in 20 (5%). Use a Pinap Berry if you already have a shiny and want extra candy.
What CP is a 100% IV Honedge from raids?
A 100% IV (15/15/15) Honedge from raids will have 814 CP at level 20, or 1012 CP at level 25 with weather boost. The minimum CP (10/10/10 IVs) is 760. If you see 814 CP in the catch screen, it's a perfect — use a Golden Razz Berry!
Is Honedge worth raiding in Pokemon GO?
Honedge is a lower-tier raid boss that can be soloed or defeated easily with 1-2 trainers. It's useful for farming candy, earning XP, and potentially getting a high-IV specimen. Worth doing when convenient, but doesn't require spending Premium Passes.
What is the best moveset for Honedge?
For the best moveset for Honedge itself (when using it as an attacker), check the full Honedge stats page which includes optimal fast and charged move combinations for both PvE raids and PvP GO Battle League, along with DPS calculations and PvP rankings.
Can I beat Honedge without Shadow or Mega Pokemon?
Yes! While Shadow and Mega Pokemon are the top DPS options, Honedge can be defeated using regular (non-Shadow, non-Mega) counters. The best budget options are Blacephalon (47.286 DPS) and Reshiram (40.500 DPS). You may need 5-6 trainers instead of the minimum 2 when using budget teams. Check the Budget Counters section above for the full F2P-friendly list.
What weather boosts Honedge in raids?
Honedge is weather boosted during snow,fog weather. When boosted, Honedge is harder to defeat (higher CP in the raid) but the catch encounter will be level 25 instead of 20, giving you a higher CP catch (946-1012 CP) with potentially better IVs. Weather boost is a double-edged sword — harder raid, better reward.