What are the best counters for Nihilego?

The best counter is Primal Groudon with Mud Shot and Precipice Blades, dealing 49.7 DPS.

What is Nihilego weak to?

Nihilego is weak to Ground, Psychic, Steel, Water-type attacks.

How many trainers to beat Nihilego?

Nihilego can be defeated by 2 high-level trainers with optimal counters, but 4+ trainers is recommended for a comfortable win.

What CP is a 100% IV Nihilego from raids?

A 100% IV Nihilego has 2313 CP at level 20, or 2877 CP at level 25 (weather boosted).

Is Nihilego worth raiding in Pokemon GO?

Yes, Nihilego is a 5-Star Raids raid boss with rock/poison typing. It has uses in both PvE raids and PvP. The shiny rate of ~1/20 makes it especially worth multiple attempts.

What weather boosts Nihilego in raids?

Nihilego is weather boosted during partly cloudy,cloudy weather. The raid is harder but the catch is level 25 with higher CP (2764-2877 CP).

5-Star raid In raids now Shiny available Rock Poison

Nihilego Raid Guide

Q: Can Nihilego be shiny?

Yes, Nihilego can be shiny from raids.

Q: What is the best moveset for Nihilego?

For Nihilego's best moveset when using it as an attacker, check its full Pokemon detail page with DPS calculations for raids and PvP.

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

Yes! The best budget counter is Landorus (Therian) with 42.8 DPS. You may need 5-6 trainers with budget teams.

Weak to Ground, Psychic, Steel, Water — every counter below is ranked by DPS against Nihilego.

Boosted in Partly Cloudy, Cloudy 20 counters ranked

Catch CP

2,313

Lv 20 · 100% IV

Weather CP

2,877

Lv 25 · 100% IV

Trainers

Min 2 at Lv 40+

Top DPS

49.7

Primal Groudon

Best counters

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

Primal Groudon Mud ShotPrecipice Blades 49.7DPS 1,227TDO 2

Shadow Groudon Mud ShotPrecipice Blades 45.5DPS 750TDO 3

Mega Garchomp Mud ShotEarthquake 43.2DPS 965TDO 4

Landorus (Therian) Mud ShotSandsear Storm 42.8DPS 665TDO 5

Shadow Excadrill Mud SlapEarthquake 42.5DPS 467TDO 6

Shadow Mamoswine Mud SlapHigh Horsepower 41.8DPS 520TDO 7

Shadow Garchomp Mud ShotEarthquake 40.9DPS 663TDO 8

Shadow Rhyperior Mud SlapEarthquake 40.3DPS 677TDO 9

Groudon Mud ShotPrecipice Blades 37.4DPS 740TDO 10

Shadow Rhydon Mud SlapEarthquake 37.2DPS 523TDO 11

Mega Swampert Mud ShotEarthquake 36.9DPS 763TDO 12

Shadow Golurk Mud SlapEarth Power 36.5DPS 407TDO 13

Shadow Donphan Mud SlapEarthquake 35.6DPS 479TDO 14

Excadrill Mud SlapEarthquake 35.5DPS 468TDO 15

Shadow Golem Mud SlapEarthquake 35.4DPS 469TDO 16

Mamoswine Mud SlapHigh Horsepower 34.8DPS 520TDO 17

Shadow Flygon Sand AttackEarthquake 33.8DPS 380TDO 18

Garchomp Mud ShotEarthquake 33.7DPS 654TDO 19

Shadow Torterra Mud SlapEarthquake 33.6DPS 480TDO 20

Shadow Dugtrio (Alola) Mud SlapEarthquake 33.5DPS 185TDO

Budget counters

No Shadow, Mega or Primal forms needed.

Landorus (Therian) Mud ShotSandsear Storm 42.8DPS 665TDO 9

Groudon Mud ShotPrecipice Blades 37.4DPS 740TDO 14

Excadrill Mud SlapEarthquake 35.5DPS 468TDO 16

Mamoswine Mud SlapHigh Horsepower 34.8DPS 520TDO 18

Garchomp Mud ShotEarthquake 33.7DPS 654TDO

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 Nihilego 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: 5-Star
Weather boost: Partly Cloudy, Cloudy
Shiny available: Yes
Base Attack: 249
Base Defense: 210
Base Stamina: 240

Weak to — use these types

Ground2.56× Psychic1.6× Steel1.6× Water1.6×

Resists — avoid these types

Poison0.390625× Bug0.625× Fairy0.625× Fire0.625× Flying0.625× Normal0.625×

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	2,221	2,764
15 / 15 / 15 100%	2,313	2,877

Every raid catch has an IV floor of 10/10/10, so the two rows are the real minimum and maximum. If you see 2,313 CP it is a perfect Nihilego — throw a Golden Razz Berry.

Raid guide

How the fight goes and what to bring.

Trainer difficulty Nihilego goes down with 2 trainers running optimal counters at level 40+. Plan for 4+ if your team is not fully powered up, or 5–6 in a random public lobby.

Do not bring Poison, Bug, Fairy damage — Nihilego resists it and your lobby will run out of time before it runs out of HP. Everything in the counter list above already hits for super effective damage, so pick the six highest entries you actually own and power up.

In Partly Cloudy, Cloudy weather the boss hits harder and survives longer, but the catch encounter is level 25 instead of 20 — a harder fight for a better reward. Bring one extra trainer on boosted runs.

On the catch screen, use Golden Razz Berries and aim for Excellent curveball throws; the shiny check happens the moment the encounter loads, so you will know before your first throw.

FAQ

How many trainers do I need to beat Nihilego?

Nihilego can be beaten by 2 high-level trainers with optimal counters. 4+ is comfortable, and 5–6 is the safe number in a public lobby where you cannot see anyone's team.

Can I beat Nihilego without Shadow or Mega Pokemon?

Yes. The best non-Shadow, non-Mega option is Landorus (Therian) at 42.818 DPS. Budget teams trade about one trainer's worth of damage, so add one or two extra bodies to the lobby.

Can Nihilego be shiny?

Yes — shiny Nihilego is available from raid encounters. The rate for legendary raids is roughly 1 in 20. Use a Pinap Berry if you already have the shiny and want the extra candy.

What weather boosts Nihilego?

Nihilego is boosted in Partly Cloudy, Cloudy weather. The raid is harder because the boss's moves gain a 1.2× multiplier, but the catch is level 25 instead of level 20 and the IV floor rises to 4/4/4.

Is Nihilego worth raiding?

Yes. Nihilego is a 5-Star boss worth a Remote or Premium Pass, and its Rock/Poison typing has uses in both raids and GO Battle League. Aim for a high Attack IV for raid use, or a low-Attack bulky spread for Great and Ultra League.

What is the best moveset for Nihilego?

The counter list on this page is for beating Nihilego. For the moves Nihilego should use as your attacker, open its full stats page — it lists every fast and charged move with raid DPS and PvP rankings.

Explore more

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