Kabutops Raid Counters
Best counters and strategies to beat Kabutops in Pokemon GO raids.
How to Beat Kabutops
Kabutops is a 5 raid boss in Pokemon GO with Rock/Water typing. The best counter is Mega Sceptile (Mega) with Bullet Seed and Frenzy Plant, dealing 52.462 DPS.
Kabutops 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: Kabutops is weak to Grass (double weak!), Electric, Fighting, Ground -type attacks. Avoid using Fire, Flying, Ice-type moves as Kabutops 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 Kabutops is Mega Sceptile (52.462 DPS), Kartana (48.267 DPS), and Shadow Sceptile (44.000 DPS).
Catching Kabutops: After defeating Kabutops, the catch encounter will have a CP between 1513 and 1589 at level 20. With weather boost, the range is 1882-1976 at level 25. A perfect 100% IV Kabutops from raids will have exactly 1589 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 Kabutops?
The best counter for Kabutops is Mega Sceptile with Bullet Seed and Frenzy Plant, dealing 52.462 DPS. Other top options include Kartana (48.267 DPS) and Shadow Sceptile (44.000 DPS).
How many trainers to beat Kabutops?
Kabutops 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 Kabutops weak to?
Kabutops is weak to Grass (double weak), Electric, Fighting, Ground-type attacks. It resists Fire, Flying, Ice, Normal, Poison-type moves, so avoid those.
Can Kabutops be shiny in Pokemon GO?
No, Kabutops's shiny form is not currently available in Pokemon GO. It may be released in a future event.
What CP is a 100% IV Kabutops from raids?
A 100% IV (15/15/15) Kabutops from raids will have 1589 CP at level 20, or 1976 CP at level 25 with weather boost. The minimum CP (10/10/10 IVs) is 1513. If you see 1589 CP in the catch screen, it's a perfect — use a Golden Razz Berry!
Is Kabutops worth raiding in Pokemon GO?
Kabutops 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 Kabutops?
For the best moveset for Kabutops itself (when using it as an attacker), check the full Kabutops 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 Kabutops without Shadow or Mega Pokemon?
Yes! While Shadow and Mega Pokemon are the top DPS options, Kabutops can be defeated using regular (non-Shadow, non-Mega) counters. The best budget options are Kartana (48.267 DPS) and Shaymin (Sky) (43.714 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 Kabutops in raids?
Weather boost information for Kabutops is not currently available. Rock-type Pokemon are typically boosted in specific weather conditions. When weather boosted, the raid is harder but the catch encounter is level 25 with higher CP.