Galar-region Legendary Zacian is finally making its long-awaited Pokemon Go debut in 5-Star Raids, and with the right counters, you’ll be able to beat and catch one for yourself.
The final part of the Ultra Unlock celebrations begins on August 20, 2021, and it’s set to bring a number of Galar region favorites to Pokemon Go. The most exciting arrivals are without a doubt the Legendary creatures Zacian and Zamazenta.
First up is the Fairy-type Zacian, which will appear in the game‘s 5-Star Raids for a week before being replaced by Zamazenta. It appears here in its Hero of Many Battles form, with the powerful Crowned form likely being added in a future event.
Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about Zacian, including its weaknesses and a roundup of the best counters you can take into battle to defeat this powerful Pokemon and (hopefully!) catch it.
Contents
Zacian counters in Pokemon Go
| Pokemon | Fast Move | Charge Move |
| Metagross | Bullet Punch | Meteory Mash |
| Dialga | Metal Claw | Iron Head |
| Gengar | Lick | Sludge Bomb |
| Mega Beedril | Poison Jab | Sludge Bomb |
| Genesect | Metal Claw | Magnet Bomb |
| Excadrill | Metal Claw | Iron Head |
| Scizor | Bullet Punch | Iron Head |
| Roserade | Poison Jab | Sludge Bomb |
| Vileplume | Acid | Sludge Bomb |
| Aggron | Iron Tail | Heavy Slam |
Pokemon Go Zacian weaknesses
Zacian is a pure Fairy-type, which means it’s only weak against Poison and Steel-type attacks. As a result, Trainers should focus on bringing their strongest Pokemon of these types with matching moves.
As for Zacian’s strengths, it will absolutely destroy Dark, Dragon, and Fighting-types, so it’s definitely best to avoid those wherever possible. You’ll find the best counters in the table above.
Zacian moveset in Pokemon Go
Zacian has four potential Fast Moves and four potential Charged Moves in its arsenal. Depending on which ones the 5-Star Raid Boss uses, this could turn out to be quite a difficult battle.
Here are all of Zacian’s potential moves in Pokemon Go:
- Metal Claw (Steel)
- Snarl (Dark)
- Fire Fang (Fire)
- Quick Attack (Normal)
- Iron Head (Steel)
- Play Rough (Fairy)
- Close Combat (Fighting)
- Wild Charge (Electric)
The real dangers here are Fire Fang and Close Combat, as many of the best Steel-type counters are weak against both Fire-type and Fighting-type moves. You’ll be facing plenty of KOs if Zacian has either of these.
Despite being a Fairy-type, there’s only one Fairy-type move that Zacian will potentially use, and that’s Play Rough. Both Steel and Poison-type counters are able to resist this easily.
Zacian takes the cake when it comes to the most powerful fairy Pokemon.How to catch Zacian in Pokemon Go
As with all Legendaries, the only way to catch Zacian in Pokemon Go is to first defeat it in a 5-Star Raid Battle. You’ll then be given the chance to catch it, with a limited amount of Premier Balls to throw.
Zacian will be available in 5-Star Raid Battles from Friday, August 20, at 10AM until Thursday, August 26, at 10AM local time, when it will be replaced by Zamazenta.
As for its CP range, Zacian can be caught with a CP between 2,100 to 2,188 at Level 20. With a weather boost (Cloudy), it can be caught with a CP between 2,625 to 2,735 at Level 25.
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Can Zacian be Shiny in Pokemon Go?
Unfortunately, Shiny Zacian is currently unavailable in Pokemon Go. As a general rule, Niantic never debuts a new ‘mon alongside its Shiny variant, so Shiny Zacian will most likely appear in a future event.
We do already know what Shiny Zacian looks like, though, as it appeared in Sword and Shield on the Nintendo Switch. You can see it in the image above.
When is Zacian Crowned form coming to Pokemon Go?
Things will really heat up when Zacian’s powered-up Crowned form makes its debut in Pokemon Go. As a dual Fairy/Steel-type, it could potentially end up being the best Dragon-slayer in the game.
There’s no release date for Zacian Crowned form yet, but we’re expecting to see it debut in the not-so-distant future. Fingers crossed there won’t be too long to wait!
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That’s everything you need to know about defeating Zacian in 5-Star Raids! For more tips and guides to becoming the ultimate Trainer, check out the rest of our Pokemon Go guides below:
Best attackers and defenders | Pokemon Go type chart | How to catch Ditto | Best Eeveelutions | Field research rewards and tasks | Promo Codes | How to get Pinap Berries | Spotlight Hour schedule | Pokemon Go current Raid bosses
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