Black Kyurem and White Kyurem counters, weakness in Pokémon Go

This formidable fusion Pokémon presents a significant challenge for trainers seeking to add these powerful creatures to their collection.

Kyurem, Black Kyurem and White Kyurem represent some of the most demanding raid encounters in Pokémon Go, requiring multiple successful raids to obtain these coveted creatures for your roster.

Both fusion variants stand at the pinnacle of performance for both raid battles and player versus player content, making strategic preparation essential for trainers planning to undertake these challenging encounters.

Black Kyurem and White Kyurem will debut in raids during the Go Tour: Unova event on March 1 and 2. Historical patterns suggest these powerful forms will likely reappear during future raid days or special events, following the same release cadence as Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings Necrozma after their initial introduction.

Below, we provide comprehensive analysis of Black and White Kyurem’s vulnerabilities, optimal counters, recommended movesets, and additional strategic considerations.

All Kyurem forms—standard, Black, and White—maintain identical dragon and ice dual-typing, resulting in consistent vulnerabilities to fighting-, rock-, steel-, dragon-, and fairy-type attacks.

Despite dragon-type attacks being super-effective, we strongly advise against deploying dragon-type Pokémon as counters. Kyurem’s devastating ice-type moves will rapidly eliminate these would-be counters. Contemporary meta features numerous powerful steel-type options that provide both resistance and super-effective damage, making them the optimal choice, though trainers should utilize their strongest available counters.

Kyurem demonstrates resistance to water-, grass-, and electric-type moves, rendering these attack types ineffective for raid battles.

Based on the type analysis above, here are the most effective Pokémon to deploy against Kyurem raids:

Beyond the obvious steel-type powerhouse, several other Pokémon provide excellent counter options. Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash offers tremendous damage output while resisting Kyurem’s ice attacks. For trainers lacking legendary options, Excadrill with Metal Claw and Iron Head provides a solid alternative with high damage potential.

Fairy-type Pokémon like Togekiss with Charm and Dazzling Gleam can work effectively, though they lack the defensive resistance that steel types provide. Rock-type options such as Rhyperior with Smack Down and Rock Wrecker can deal significant damage but require careful timing to avoid Kyurem’s devastating charged moves.

Team composition strategy should prioritize Pokémon that can survive long enough to fire multiple charged attacks. The ideal raid team mixes bulkier steel types with higher DPS options, ensuring consistent damage throughout the battle. For advanced trainers, understanding Class Guide principles for team synergy can dramatically improve raid success rates.

Optimal moveset selection varies between Black and White Kyurem forms, though both benefit from dragon and ice-type attacks. Dragon Breath paired with Outrage provides consistent dragon-type damage, while Ice Beam offers coverage against dragon-type counters.

For Black Kyurem, the addition of fusion bolt provides electric coverage that can surprise unprepared water and flying-type Pokémon. White Kyurem gains fusion flare, giving it fire-type coverage against steel and ice types that might otherwise counter it effectively.

Damage calculations show that dragon-type moves generally outperform ice-type options due to STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) and broader coverage. However, ice moves remain valuable for specific matchups against dragon-heavy teams. Understanding these Weapons Unlock principles for move optimization can significantly enhance your battle performance.

Battle rotation timing is crucial—save charged moves for immediately after Kyurem uses its own charged attacks, when you have a brief window of reduced incoming damage. This strategy maximizes your Pokémon’s survival and overall damage output.

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Niantic

Shiny Kyurem features distinctive visual changes from its standard form, displaying more pronounced purple coloring with vibrant hot pink accents. The shiny variant maintains these color differences across all Kyurem forms.

During raid events, shiny Kyurem typically maintains the standard legendary shiny encounter rate of approximately 1 in 20. However, during special events like raid days, these rates may increase significantly, providing better opportunities for shiny hunters.

Event timing strategy is crucial for maximizing shiny hunting efficiency. Focusing on the first and last hours of raid events often provides the highest concentration of active raiders, making it easier to assemble full raid lobbies. Coordinating with local communities through Discord or other platforms can further enhance your shiny hunting success.

For comprehensive event planning and strategy, consult our Complete Guide to legendary raid events. Proper preparation including stocked raid passes, healing items, and coordinated teams will dramatically improve your chances of obtaining these rare shiny variants.

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