The Season of Mischief is upon us, and the Legendary Pokemon Hoopa has appeared in Pokemon GO! While they’re not a raid boss, alongside Hoopa came a new wave of Raid Bosses – a Lugia re-run and Mega Slowbro!
Mega Evolutions are relatively new to Pokemon GO and carry some heavy stat increases. Mega Slowbro, a Psychic and Water type, is semi-unique in that its Mega Evolution carries with it some very annoying bulk – it is extremely hard to whittle down its HP. However, we’ve got the best counters for Mega Slowbro down below!
Perhaps not surprising to many, Mega Pokemon tend to take center stage – however, if you don’t have access to a good Mega, we’ve got a substitution list available for you! This list excludes Shadow Pokemon, due to their increased difficulty to obtain and cost to train, but if you have a Shadow version of the below, you can assume that it will work just as well (or better!)
Mega Slowbro Weaknesses & Strengths
As a Psychic Water Pokemon, Mega Slowbro has the following weaknesses and strengths:
- Weaknesses: Bug, Ghost, Grass, Electric, and Dark
- Strengths: Fighting, Steel, Fire, Water, Psychic, and Ice
Best Mega Slowbro Counters
Mega-Gengar
Shocking absolutely nobody, the strongest Ghost attacker in the game is a sure pick for dealing with Psychic Raid Bosses. Mega-Gengar is a little frail, so you have to be careful when a Charged Attack is coming out, but otherwise you can expect to deal huge chunks of damage with this beast alone. You want Lick and Shadow Ball for maximum DPS.
Mega-Manectric
This Electric-type really doles out the hurt to Mega-Slowbro – a high attack value with decent bulk means it can sit in combat a little bit longer than some of the other choices on this list. Thunder Fang and Wild Charge are the go-to moves for Manectric.
Mega-Houndoom
Mega-Houndoom sadly doesn’t see a lot of use traditionally, and particularly against Mega-Slowbro, is kind of a side pick more than a main pick. Due to its weakness to Water (something Mega-Slowbro has with Water Pulse and Water Gun), Mega-Houndoom can get removed from the field pretty quickly. With Snarl and Foul Play, however, you can ensure you deal plenty of damage on the way out.
Mega-Gyarados
Another top-tier Mega form, Mega-Gyarados with Bite and Crunch can rip through Mega-Slowbro with ease. As a Dark and Water type, Mega-Gyarados can resist Mega-Slowbro entirely, as the raid boss can only carry Psychic, Water, and Ice moves!
Zekrom
Dragon / Electric typing makes Zekrom the perfect counter to Flying types, but Zekrom can still get chunked heavily by Mega-Slowbro’s Ice Beam, so extra care is needed. Charge Beam and Wild Charge are your weapons of choice.
Thundurus
Thundurus being an Electric type makes this a natural choice to use against Mega-Slowbro. However, Thundurus is a little on the frail side, especially due to Mega-Slowbro’s access to Ice Beam. Volt Switch and Thunderbolt will do the most damage.
Alternate Choices
Not everyone has Mega Evolution energy ready to burn on these fights, and likewise, if you missed out on Zekrom, Thundurus, or even budget option Raikou, you may be wondering what your options are. Here are your best non-Mega, non-Legendary, and non-Shadow options!
Chandelure
Ghost / Fire typing makes Chandelure a risky substitution for Gengar. Expect to do a lot of damage and if Mega-Slowbro is packing any of its Water moves, consider your Chandelure toast. You want Hex and Shadow Ball on this Pokemon.
Magnezone
A Magnezone rocking Spark and Wild Charge can do solid damage against Mega-Slowbro, however, the real beauty is Magnezone’s bulk — ol’ sturdy here can sit in battle for quite a while, and either resists or takes neutral damage from the boss.
Venusaur
Venusaur (and to a lesser extent, Torterra) are excellent picks for Mega-Slowbro, but be warned, Mega-Slowbro can sometimes carry Ice Beam, which will murder these two in a flash. Razor Leaf and Frenzy Plant (if you have it) are the go-to moves.
There you have it, trainers! That’s our counter list for Mega-Slowbro. We wish you the best of luck in the Season of Mischief, and in getting a good Slowbro! While you’re here, maybe check out some of our ongoing Pokemon GO! coverage?