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Raiding inPokemon Goproves to be one of the game’s most popular features, giving you the opportunity to battle and catch powerful Pokemon with the help of other participating Trainers. Part of this popularity is due to it being the most efficient way to obtain Legendary Pokemon, being both some of the strongest and most popular Pokemon currently available.
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This is especially true when it comes to Rayquaza, an extremely popular Legendary Pokemon from the franchise’s third generation. With the strength of this Pokemon, defeating it in its Five-Star Raid won’t come easy, so we’ve put together a complete guide to help you with this PvE encounter.
Recommended Group Size
Luckily, Rayquaza’s Raid falls on the easier end of the spectrum when it comes to Five-Star Raids currently in the game. That being said, you’ll still want togo into this encounter with othersin order to be successful, as you will be lacking in sufficient firepower otherwise.
To ensure that you and your Raid group can defeat Rayquaza, verify that you’re attempting Rayquaza’s Raid with a minimum ofthree to five Trainers.On top of this, it’s recommended that everyone that you’re raiding with is of high Trainer Level and is using strong Pokemon with attacks that are super effective against Rayquaza.

Although this won’t be the most difficult Raid to complete, you can further guarantee your group’s success through theMega Evolution mechanic.
If you temporarily Mega Evolve one of the Pokemon that you’re using against Rayquaza, all of your Raid team’sattacks that are the same type as the Mega Evolved Pokemonwill receive a damage enhancement.

Rayquaza: Strengths And Weaknesses
Defeating Rayquaza in this Raid will be far easier if you choose a team that avoids types that this Pokemon is resistant to and take advantage of the types that it is weak against. With Rayquaza’s Dragon and Flying dual-typing, there are several types of attacks that it is resistant against in battle. This includesFighting, Bug, Fire, Water, Ground, and Grass-type attacks,all of which you should avoid using for this specific Raid battle.
Ground and Grass-type attacks are twice as weak against Rayquaza,only dealing 39 percent of the damage that they deal against other Pokemon.

Make sure that all the Pokemon that you’re battling with are not using attacks of these types, as they will deal insufficient damage to complete this encounter.
The weaknesses that Rayquaza has on the battlefield make this Raid battle significantly easier when taken advantage of. Rayquaza has adouble-weakness to Ice-type attacks,and astandard weakness to Rock, Dragon, and Fairy-type attacks. Although Rock, Dragon, and Fairy-type Pokemon are viable options for this Raid, the use of Ice types will maximize your damage output.
Make sure that you’re using Pokemon and attacks that benefit fromSame Type Attack Bonus,also known as STAB.
Doing so will provide your attacks withbonus damage if the attacks being used are the same type as the Pokemon using them.
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Rayquaza: Best Counter Picks
Ice-type Pokemon are king when it comes to Rayquaza’s Five-Star Raid,so ensure you’re using a party utilizing them if possible. When using powerful Ice-type attacks, Ice-type Pokemon will not only deal super effective damage, but will also have their damage increased by the STAB mechanic.
Because of this, our list of best Rayquaza counters includes primarily Ice-types, but also a handful of Rock, Dragon, and Fairy-type options.
It’s not always possible to use a team made up of top-tier Raid Pokemon counters, but that doesn’t mean that the Raid can’t be completed.
Especially for this Raid, there areseveral other viable Pokemon to choose from,all of which are Ice types with powerful Ice-type attacks.