Xerneas Raid Guide
Weak to Poison, Steel — every counter below is ranked by DPS against Xerneas.
Best counters
Ranked by DPS against Xerneas. Tap a row for full stats.
Budget counters
No Shadow, Mega or Primal forms needed.
Stats & weaknesses
- Raid tier
- 5-Star
- Weather boost
- Cloudy
- Shiny available
- Yes
- Base Attack
- 250
- Base Defense
- 185
- Base Stamina
- 246
Weak to — use these types
Resists — avoid these types
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 | 2,125 | 2,643 |
| 15 / 15 / 15 100% | 2,214 | 2,755 |
Raid guide
How the fight goes and what to bring.
Xerneas is pure Fairy, weak only to Poison and Steel. Bring Mega Beedrill, Roserade, or Steel attackers like Metagross and Excadrill. The fight is a comfortable trio. Xerneas shreds Dragons in both raids and Master League, and with no CP cap it hits the ceiling hard. It's the best Fairy investment most trainers can make and a genuine meta-definer in Master League. The golden shiny is one of the prettiest in the game and worth chasing.
Do not bring Dragon, Bug, Dark damage — Xerneas 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 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 Xerneas?
Xerneas 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 Xerneas without Shadow or Mega Pokemon?
Yes. The best non-Shadow, non-Mega option is Deoxys (Attack) at 28.710 DPS. Budget teams trade about one trainer's worth of damage, so add one or two extra bodies to the lobby.
Can Xerneas be shiny?
Yes — shiny Xerneas 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 Xerneas?
Xerneas is boosted in 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 Xerneas worth raiding?
Yes. Xerneas is a 5-Star boss worth a Remote or Premium Pass, and its Fairy 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 Xerneas?
The counter list on this page is for beating Xerneas. For the moves Xerneas should use as your attacker, open its full stats page — it lists every fast and charged move with raid DPS and PvP rankings.