POKÉMON Go doesn’t make it easy for players to build the best teams with high value items required to beef up your Pokémon.
However, raid battles and the Pokémon Go Battle League require different types of monsters in order to win.
Reshiram is the latest five-star raid boss.
This means that the ‘mons that you have trained for the Battle League might not be usable in five-star raids.
As such you might want to try a number of different Pokémon you’ve caught on your journey.
Here are the best Pokémon of each type to take on Pokémon Go’s five-star raids.
Pokémon Go: Best Grass-type Pokémon
Grass-type Pokémon are strong against Ground-, Rock-, and Water-type opponents, but will be resisted by Fire-, Poison-, Grass-, Flying-, Bug-, Dragon-, and Steel-types.
They also are hit for super effective damage by Fire-, Ice-, Poison-, Flying-, and Bug-type attacks, so you have to be careful when you use them.
Here are the best Grass-type Pokémon to use:
- Mega Sceptile (Bullet Seed, Frenzy Plant)
- Kartana (Razor Leaf, Leaf Blade)
- Shadow Tangrowth (Vine Whip, Power Whip)
Pokémon Go: Best Fire-type Pokémon
Fire-type Pokémon are strong against Grass-, Ice-, Bug- and Steel-type opponents, but will be resisted by Fire-, Water-, Rock-, and Dragon-types.
They are hit for super effective damage by Water-, Ground-, and Rock-type attacks, making them flexible to use.
Here are the best Fire-type Pokémon to use:
- Mega Charizard Y (Fire Spin, Blast Burn)
- Reshiram (Fire Fang, Fusion Flare)
- Shadow Moltres (Fire Spin, Overheat)
Pokémon Go: Best Water-type Pokémon
Water-type Pokémon are strong against Ground-, Rock-, and Fire-type opponents, but will be resisted by Water-, Grass-, Dragon-types.
They are only hit for super effective damage by Grass-, and Electric-type attacks, making them a strong defensive type.
Here are the best Water-type Pokémon to use:
- Mega Swampert (Water Gun, Hydro Cannon)
- Shadow Swampert (Water Gun, Hydro Cannon)
- Shadow Feraligatr (Waterfall, Hydro Cannon)
Pokémon Go: Best Fighting-type Pokémon
Fighting-type Pokémon are strong against Normal-, Ice-, Rock-, Dark- and Steel-type opponents, but will be resisted by Poison-, Flying-, Bug-, Psychic-, and Fairy-types.
Their attacks will be heavily resisted by Ghost-type Pokémon.
They also are hit for super effective damage by Flying-, Psychic-, and Fairy-type attacks. It’s a strong offensive type if you are careful about match-ups.
Here are the best Fighting-type Pokémon to use:
- Terrakion (Double Kick, Sacred Sword)
- Shadow Machamp (Counter, Dynamic Punch)
- Keldeo (Low Kick, Sacred Sword)
Pokémon Go: Best Flying-type Pokémon
Flying-type Pokémon are strong against Fighting-, Grass-, and Bug-type opponents, but will be resisted by Electric-, Rock-, and Steel-types.
They also are hit for super effective damage by Electric-, Ice-, and Rock-type attacks, but heavily resist Ground-type attacks.
Depending on the raid Pokémon, Flying-types can be a strong choice.
Here are the best Flying-type Pokémon to use:
- Shadow Moltres (Wing Attack, Sky Attack)
- Shadow Ho-Oh (Hidden Power (Flying), Brave Bird)
- Shadow Dragonite (Dragon Tail, Dragon Claw)
Pokémon Go: Best Ground-type Pokémon
Ground-type Pokémon are strong against Fire-, Electric-, Poison-, Rock- and Steel-type opponents, but will be resisted by Grass-, and Bug-types.
Flying-type Pokémon also heavily resist Ground-type attacks.
They also are hit for super effective damage by Water-, Grass- and Ice-type attacks, but heavily resist Electric-type attacks, making them extremely flexible.
Here are the best Ground-type Pokémon to use:
- Shadow Mamoswine (Mud Slap, High Horsepower)
- Mega Swampert (Mud Shot, Earthquake)
- Shadow Golurk (Mud Slap, Earth Power)
Pokémon Go: Best Psychic-type Pokémon
Psychic-type Pokémon are strong against Poison-, and Fighting-type opponents, but will only be resisted by Psychic-, and Steel-types.
They are also heavily resisted by Dark-type ‘mons.
They are hit for super effective damage by Dark-, Ghost-, and Bug-type attacks, making them a neutral type.
Here are the best Psychic-type Pokémon to use:
- Shadow Mewtwo (Confusion, Psystrike)
- Mega Alakazam (Confusion, Psychic)
- Mewtwo (Confusion, Psystrike)
Pokémon Go: Best Rock-type Pokémon
Rock-type Pokémon are strong against Fire-, Ice-, Flying- and Bug-type opponents, but will be resisted by Fighting-, Ground-, and Steel-types.
They are hit for super effective damage by Water-, Ice-, Grass-, Fighting-, Ground- and Steel-type attacks, so they can be dangerous to use.
Here are the best Rock-type Pokémon to use:
- Mega Aerodactyl (Rock Throw, Rock Slide)
- Shadow Tyranitar (Smack Down, Stone Edge)
- Rampardos (Smack Down, Rock Slide)
Pokémon Go: Best Electric-type Pokémon
Electric-type Pokémon are strong against Water-, and Flying-type opponents, but will be resisted by Electric-, Grass-, and Dragon-types.
Electric-type attacks are heavily-resisted by Ground-type ‘mons.
They are only hit for super-effective damage by Ground-type attacks, making it a great defensive type.
Here are the best Electric-type Pokémon to use:
- Shadow Raikou (Thunder Shock, Wild Charge)
- Xurkitree (Thunder Shock, Discharge)
- Mega Manectric (Thunder Fang, Wild Charge)
Pokémon Go: Best Bug-type Pokémon
Bug-type Pokémon are one of the weaker types.
They’re strong against Grass-, Psychic-, and Bug-type opponents, but will be resisted by Fire-, Poison-, Fighting-, Flying-, Ghost-, Fairy-, and Steel-types.
They also are hit for super effective damage by Fire-, Flying-, and Rock-type attacks.
Here are the best Bug-type Pokémon to use:
- Mega Scizor (Fury Cutter, X-Scissor)
- Pheromosa (Bug Bite, Bug Buzz)
- Shadow Scizor (Fury Cutter, X-Scissor)
Pokémon Go: Best Ice-type Pokémon
Ice-type Pokémon are strong against Grass-, Ground-, Flying- and Dragon-type opponents, but will be resisted by Fire-, Water-, Ice-, and Steel-types.
They also are hit for super effective damage by Fire-, Fighting-, Rock-, and Steel-type attacks, making them difficult to use.
Here are the best Ice-type Pokémon to use:
- Shadow Mamoswine (Powder Snow, Avalanche)
- Shadow Weavile (Ice Shard, Avalanche)
- Shadow Mewtwo (Confusion, Ice Beam)
Pokémon Go: Best Dragon-type Pokémon
Dragon-type Pokémon aren’t the best offensive, but a very strong defensive type.
They are strong against only Dragon-type opponents, but will only be resisted by Steel-types, and heavily resisted by Fairy-types.
They also are hit for super effective damage by Ice-, Fairy-, and Dragon-type attacks, making them easy to use.
Here are the best Dragon-type Pokémon to use:
- Mega Latios (Dragon Breath, Dragon Claw)
- Shadow Salamence (Dragon Tail, Outrage)
- Shadow Dragonite (Dragon Tail, Dragon Claw)
Pokémon Go: Best Steel-type Pokémon
Steel-type Pokémon are strong against Ice-, Rock-, and Fairy-type opponents, but will be resisted by Fire-, Water-, Electric-, and Steel-types.
They also are hit for super effective damage by Fire-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks, and resist almost all other types, making them one of the most useful types.
Here are the best Steel-type Pokémon to use:
- Shadow Metagross (Bullet Punch, Meteor Mash)
- Metagross (Bullet Punch, Meteor Mash)
- Dialga (Metal Claw, Iron Head)
Pokémon Go: Best Poison-type Pokémon
Poison-type Pokémon are strong against Grass-, and Fairy-type opponents, but will be resisted by Poison-, Ground-, Rock-, and Ghost-types. Their attacks are also heavily resisted by Steel-types.
They are only hit for super effective damage by Psychic-, and Ground-type attacks, and are a popular defensive type.
Here are the best Poison-type Pokémon to use:
- Mega Gengar (Shadow Claw, Sludge Bomb)
- Nihilego (Poison Jab, Sludge Bomb)
- Roserade (Poison Jab, Sludge Bomb)
Pokémon Go: Best Fairy-type Pokémon
Fairy-type Pokémon are strong against Fighting-, Dragon-, and Dark-type opponents, but will be resisted by Fire-, Poison-, and Steel-types.
They are only hit for super effective damage by Poison-, and Steel-type attacks, and are seen as one of the game’s strongest types.
Here are the best Fairy-type Pokémon to use:
- Shadow Gardevoir (Charm, Dazzling Gleam)
- Mega Alakazam (Confusion, Dazzling Gleam)
- Shadow Granbull (Charm, Play Rough)
Pokémon Go: Best Ghost- or Dark-type Pokémon
We have grouped these two together as they share many of the same strengths and weaknesses.
They both hit Ghost-, and Psychic-type Pokémon for super effective damage.
Here are the best Ghost- or Dark-type Pokémon to use:
- Mega Gengar (Shadow Claw, Shadow Ball)
- Shadow Mewtwo (Confusion, Shadow Ball)
- Hydreigon (Bite, Brutal Swing)
Written by Marco Wutz and Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
