Deoxys returns to the raid roster toward the end of February, so we've pieced together this Pokémon GO Deoxys Defense counters guide to help you through it. It's one of the bulkiest creatures in the game, and it takes some prime counters and plenty of players to take down even outside of the EX raid bracket.
Below, we're going to quickly go over the best Pokémon to take into battle against this Legendary Pokémon - the best Pokémon GO Deoxys Defense counters, if you will. We'll cover their best attacks, the max Deoxys CP you'll want to look out for, and how to get a shiny Deoxys as well.
Looking for more Pokémon GO guides? If you're into the PVE aspect, we have guides covering the Pokémon GO Rocket Team Leaders teams this time around, and then a list of counters for Arlo, Sierra, and Cliff to help finish off your Rocket Radar.
Pokémon GO Deoxys Defense Counters - What Are the Best Deoxys Defense Counters?
Counters (Deoxy Defense Form) | Fast Move | Charge Move |
|---|---|---|
Giratina (Origin Form) | Shadow Claw | Shadow Ball |
Chandelure | Hex | Shadow Ball |
Gengar | Lick | Shadow Ball |
Hydreigon | Bite | Dark Pulse |
Weavile | Snarl | Foul Play |
Mewtwo | Psycho Cut | Shadow Ball |
Tyranitar | Bite | Crunch |
Honchkrow | Snarl | Dark Pulse |
Houndoom | Snarl | Foul Play |
Krookodile | Snarl | Crunch |
As long as the list is above, these aren't the absolute best Pokémon GO Deoxys Defense counters around right now - they're simply the most readily-available ones. They follow a simple rule of exploiting the weaknesses of the Psychic-type Deoxys via Bug, Dark, and Ghost-type moves.
- Check out: The Cookie Run: Kingdom Affogato Cookie build guide for launch
With that one rule in mind, a bunch of other viable options arrive. For example, other great Pokémon GO Deoxys Defense counters would be Deoxys Attack with Poison Jab and Dark Pulse, Trevenant with Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball, and even Hoopa and Darkrai with Ghost or Dark-type moves.
In fact, Darkrai is actually understood to be the best option. With Snarl and Shadow Ball, it deals more DPS in this fight than any other calculated counter. It's just hard to have enough of them at a high enough level to have them be a reliable, accessible counter.
How Many Players Does it Take to Beat Deoxys Defense Form?
Owed to its heavy defense (duh), even the best Deoxys Defense counters won't be enough to take this old EX raid boss down on your own. Though some bosses (like Rayquaza) can be tackled with two or three people, it'll take around four great players with prime counters to take on. If you're worried, bring me.
Can Deoxys Defense Be Shiny?
The big thing about this long-awaited return of this bulky Pokémon is that, yes, Deoxys Defense can be shiny from now on. It's the first time it's been available, and its shiny yellow/gold colouring is one of the more obvious and glamorous-looking shiny Pokémon out there.
Like any other, your odds of spotting a shiny Deoxys Defense should be around 1/20. That's five percent. The odds are certainly stacked against you, but if you're running around town clearing a bunch of raids with top-tier Pokémon GO Deoxys Defense Form counters during a raid hour, you shouldn't have too much trouble tracking down a Shiny Deoxys Defense Form to add to your collection.
And remember: you won't see the shiny form until the catch screen. And any shiny raid encounter automatically gets 100% catch rate. Once you see it, you own it.
What's the Best Weather for Deoxys Defense Form?
Aim to fight Deoxys Defense in Windy weather. It's a harder fight, but the CP boost will save you a ton of candy. This will boost its two potential Psychic-type moves, but the best Deoxys Defense counters will resist these anyway.
If you just need help defeating it, aim for Rainy or Fog if you need to boost Bug or Dark and Ghost-type moves respectively. Rainy will boost a Thunderbolt Deoxys, but this shouldn't be too difficult to deal with.
Deoxys Defense Perfect IVs and Moves - What's the Max CP for Deoxys Defense Form?
- Max CP
- 1,299 (1,624 with Weather Boost)
- Min CP
- 1,228 (1,535 with Weather Boost)
Whether you're banking on a Deoxy Defense for Great League PVP or just to hold gyms, you'll want to keep an eye on the critter's CP value when it comes time to catch it.
In terms of attacks, Deoxys Defense can come packing Counter or Zen Headbutt as a Fast Move, and Psycho Boost, Rock Slide, or Thunderbolt as its Charge Move.
And that's it for this brief look into the Pokémon GO Deoxys Defense counters guide for now. Availability has changed quite a bit since this Pokémon was last available, but any of the best counters from years past still work just as well today. Playing Pokémon: Legends Arceus? You might want to know how to evolve Rotom. It's only obvious if you've done it before.