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One of the most recent raid bosses inPokémon GOis Mega Houndoom, the hound of dark fire that can wipe out your team in a deadly inferno if you don’t exploit its weaknesses. Without the right counters, this battle can be hard to overcome for rare rewards. With a shiny version of this boss available, you need to do everything to achieve victory in this raid.
You cannot catch Houndoom in its Mega form during this raid, but you can get its base version. FollowingPokémon GO’s raid boss schedulefor September 2024, this raid begins with a Mega Houndoom whose power changes based on certain weather conditions. You can face a 1505 CP Level 20 Houndoom without a weather boost, or an 1882 CP Level 25 boss with Fog or Sunny conditions boosting its strength.
When you catch the base Houdoom from this raid, you can evolve it into its Mega Form by gathering 200 Mega Energy items from other activities in the game.
Mega Houndoom Weaknesses In Pokémon GO
Target Vulnerabilities To Specific Types
Mega Houndoom shares the same typing as its base version, giving it theFire and Dark typesfor you to fight against. When you can challenge Mega Houndoom on September 14th, 2024, it would bebest to use Fighting, Ground, Rock, or Water-type Pokémonto deal super effective damage to the raid boss. Each of these types is strong against Fire or Dark, but others may be resisted by Mega Houndoom.
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Do not use Ice, Steel, Ghost, Psychic, or Grass types against Mega Houndoom, as the creature’s Fire and Dark attacks are super effective against those types. The dual typing of the raid boss may give them more weaknesses, but it also allows them to be strong versus a wider variety of other Pokémon. Those familiar with facing a normal Houndoom in aTeam Rocket fight inPokémon GOwill understand this creature’s strengths.
If you are worried about Mega Houndoom having a move outside its typing, do not be afraid. The potential Fast and Charge moves from this raid boss are all Fire and Dark, including:
Best Counters For Mega Houndoom
Bring Hard-Hitting Tanks That Absorb Damage
The best kind of Pokémon to use against Mega Houndoom isbulky Water or Ground-typeswho may have a Fighting-type move or two in their arsenal. The Fighting-type targets Houndoom’s Dark typing, smashing through its weak defenses. However, the priority here should always be tosurvive the high attacking power of the raid bosswith a Pokémon that acts like a tank for your team.
Avoid using Pokémon with low health against Mega Houndoom, as the raid boss can quickly tear through low-health opponents even if they resist its attacks. You need Pokémon that can survive, not just ones that can deal great damage.
Some of the best counters you can use against Mega Houndoom may berare Pokémon inPokémon GO, but their power makes up for the effort it takes to find them. Here are some of your best options to counter Mega Houndoom:
Garchomp(Mega, Regular, or Shadow)
Tyranitar(Mega, Regular, or Shadow)
Swampert(Mega, Regular, or Shadow)
Can Mega Houndoom Be Shiny?
Beat The Odds For A Rare Variant
The jet black and red appearance of Mega Houndoom can change to a light blue primary color if the Pokémon is aShiny variant inPokémon GO.This raid boss can be Shiny, but you will only get a normal Shiny Houndoom for catching it. With the right materials, you can still evolve that Houndoom into its Mega form, where it will remain Shiny for you to have in your collection.
Pokémon GO Shiny Odds (& Why Raids Are Best) Explained
Shiny odds in Pokémon GO work very differently compared to the rates in the mainline series. There are a few factors that make them so different.
Like any other wild Pokémon you encounter, there is a1 in 60 chance of Mega Houndoom being Shiny. These odds are tiny, so you may need to challenge the raid boss multiple times to reveal the variant you’re looking for. Due to the difficulty of this fight, you may want to try your luck against other Houndooms found normally in the wild, depending on whether they appear in your region.
Keep in mind that Mega Houndoom will only appear as a boss for a limited time within the game. Take on this fiery hound of the underworld whenever you want to see if you can find a Shiny raid boss with the same weaknesses and counters waiting for you inPokémon GO.
