1-Star raid Shiny available Rock Water

Kabuto Raid Guide

Q: What are the best counters for Kabuto?

The top counter is Mega Sceptile with Bullet Seed and Frenzy Plant at 69.5 DPS against Kabuto. Kartana (64.5) and Shadow Sceptile (58.2) follow.

Q: Can I beat Kabuto without Shadow or Mega Pokemon?

Yes. The best non-Shadow, non-Mega option is Kartana at 64.5 DPS, 93% of what the top counter deals. Shaymin (Sky) and Roserade are the next ones down.

Weak to Grass, Electric, Fighting, Ground — every counter below is ranked by DPS against Kabuto.

Boosted in Partly Cloudy, Rainy 20 counters ranked

Catch CP

802

Lv 20 · 100% IV

Weather CP

998

Lv 25 · 100% IV

Trainers

Min 1 at Lv 40+

Top DPS

69.5

Mega Sceptile

Best counters

Ranked by DPS against Kabuto. Tap a row for full stats.

Mega Sceptile Bullet SeedFrenzy Plant 69.5DPS 1,574TDO 2

Kartana Razor LeafLeaf Blade 64.5DPS 1,154TDO 3

Shadow Sceptile Bullet SeedFrenzy Plant 58.2DPS 996TDO 4

Shaymin (Sky) Magical LeafSolar Beam 57.9DPS 1,532TDO 5

Mega Venusaur Vine WhipFrenzy Plant 56.7DPS 1,885TDO 6

Shadow Chesnaught Vine WhipFrenzy Plant 56.7DPS 1,398TDO 7

Shadow Venusaur Vine WhipFrenzy Plant 56.1DPS 1,195TDO 8

Shadow Exeggutor Bullet SeedSolar Beam 56.1DPS 1,067TDO 9

Primal Groudon Mud ShotSolar Beam 55.7DPS 2,314TDO 10

Shadow Exeggutor (Alola) Bullet SeedSolar Beam 55.5DPS 1,085TDO 11

Shadow Tangrowth Vine WhipPower Whip 55.5DPS 1,357TDO 12

Shadow Victreebel Magical LeafSolar Beam 55.2DPS 840TDO 13

Roserade Magical LeafLeaf Storm 54.2DPS 1,102TDO 14

Xurkitree Thunder ShockPower Whip 54.2DPS 1,082TDO 15

Zarude Vine WhipPower Whip 53.3DPS 1,902TDO 16

Shadow Thundurus (Therian) Volt SwitchWildbolt Storm 52.5DPS 939TDO 17

Shadow Torterra Razor LeafFrenzy Plant 52.1DPS 1,250TDO 18

Rillaboom Razor LeafFrenzy Plant 51.7DPS 1,386TDO 19

Meowscarada LeafageFrenzy Plant 51.6DPS 1,024TDO 20

Shadow Groudon Mud ShotSolar Beam 50.9DPS 1,412TDO

Budget counters

No Shadow, Mega or Primal forms needed.

Kartana Razor LeafLeaf Blade 64.5DPS 1,154TDO 4

Shaymin (Sky) Magical LeafSolar Beam 57.9DPS 1,532TDO 13

Roserade Magical LeafLeaf Storm 54.2DPS 1,102TDO 14

Xurkitree Thunder ShockPower Whip 54.2DPS 1,082TDO 15

Zarude Vine WhipPower Whip 53.3DPS 1,902TDO 18

Rillaboom Razor LeafFrenzy Plant 51.7DPS 1,386TDO 19

Meowscarada LeafageFrenzy Plant 51.6DPS 1,024TDO

Ranks are kept from the main list, so you can see how far behind the premium options they sit.

How counters are ranked

Every released Pokemon is simulated at level 40 against Kabuto using the in-game damage formula and the current Game Master move data. Each fast + charged combination is tested; only the best moveset per Pokemon is listed.

DPS is damage per second over a full attack cycle. TDO is the total damage dealt before fainting, so it rewards bulk. Shadow forms are ranked with their 20% Attack boost and 17% Defense penalty; Mega and Primal forms use their boosted base stats.

Stats & weaknesses

Raid tier: 1-Star
Weather boost: Partly Cloudy, Rainy
Shiny available: Yes
Base Attack: 148
Base Defense: 140
Base Stamina: 102

Weak to — use these types

Grass2.56× Electric1.6× Fighting1.6× Ground1.6×

Resists — avoid these types

Fire0.390625× Flying0.625× Ice0.625× Normal0.625× Poison0.625×

Catch CP after the raid

The CP you will see on the encounter screen.

IVs	Lv 20 CP	Lv 25 CP (weather)
10 / 10 / 10 floor	749	931
15 / 15 / 15 100%	802	998

Raid catches have an IV floor of 10/10/10, so the two rows are the real minimum and maximum. If you see 802 CP it is a perfect Kabuto — throw a Golden Razz Berry.

Raid guide

How the fight goes and what to bring.

Trainer difficulty Soloable with six level-40 top counters. Worked out from the boss HP, the raid timer and the counter DPS above.

Kabuto resists Fire, Flying, Ice, Normal, Poison — leave those attackers out even if they are your highest CP.

FAQ

What are the best counters for Kabuto?

The top counter is Mega Sceptile with Bullet Seed and Frenzy Plant at 69.5 DPS against Kabuto. Kartana (64.5) and Shadow Sceptile (58.2) follow.

What is Kabuto weak to?

Kabuto takes super effective damage from Grass, Electric, Fighting, Ground-type moves. Grass is a double weakness (2.56×), so those attackers clear it fastest.

How many trainers do I need to beat Kabuto?

Kabuto can be soloed. The six best counters average 60.6 DPS against it at level 40, which clears the boss inside the timer with room to spare.

Can I beat Kabuto without Shadow or Mega Pokemon?

Yes. The best non-Shadow, non-Mega option is Kartana at 64.5 DPS, 93% of what the top counter deals. Shaymin (Sky) and Roserade are the next ones down.

Can Kabuto be shiny?

Yes — the encounter after this raid can be shiny.

What weather boosts Kabuto?

Partly Cloudy, Rainy. Boss moves of the boosted types hit 20% harder (so do yours), and the catch is level 25 instead of 20: 931–998 CP instead of 749–802. The 10/10/10 IV floor is the same either way.

Is Kabuto worth raiding?

Kabuto has no raid-attacker or GO Battle League ranking on this site, so the reasons to raid it are the dex entry, the candy and the shiny rather than your battle teams.

What is the best moveset for Kabuto?

The counter list on this page is for beating Kabuto. For the moves Kabuto should use as your attacker, open its full stats page.

Explore more

All raid bosses Every boss in the current rotation Best Grass attackers Top Grass-type Pokemon ranked by DPS Kabuto Pokedex Base stats, moves and evolutions