How to Beat Dynamax Zapdos in Pokémon GO

How to Beat Dynamax Zapdos in Pokémon GO

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Are you struggling to take down Dynamax Zapdos? You’re not alone. This Legendary Electric/Flying-type Pokémon is one of the most formidable foes you’ll encounter in Max Raid Battles. Known for its high Attack stat, strong defenses, and excellent typing, Dynamax Zapdos can wipe out unprepared teams quickly.

But don’t worry — with the right counters, smart team coordination, and a battle plan, you can absolutely bring this powerhouse down.

In this guide, we’ll break down:

  • What makes Dynamax Zapdos so strong
  • Its weaknesses and how to exploit them
  • The best Pokémon counters
  • Team-building strategies
  • Tips for raid coordination

Let’s get started!

About Dynamax Zapdos

Dynamax Zapdos is an Electric/Flying-type Pokémon featured in Pokémon GO Max Raid Battles. Unlike its standard form, Dynamax Zapdos gains:

  • Increased bulk (HP and defenses) making it harder to take down.
  • Boosted Attack, giving it the power to knock out unprepared teams.
  • Resistance to common moves such as Fighting, Flying, Grass, Bug, and Steel.

Because of its Electric typing, Zapdos is especially tough for Water and Flying-heavy teams, as it can zap them down quickly. Trainers who try standard strategies often find themselves overwhelmed.

How Difficult Is Dynamax Zapdos?

While not the toughest Dynamax boss overall, Dynamax Zapdos is definitely above average in difficulty. Its ability to:

  • Deal consistent Electric-type damage
  • Resist many common attacks
  • Stay on the field longer due to bulk

…makes it a raid boss that punishes uncoordinated teams.

The key lies in exploiting its primary weaknesses: Rock and Ice. With the right setup, you’ll chip through its defenses and keep your team standing long enough to land finishing blows.

Dynamax Zapdos Weaknesses

Understanding type matchups is critical here:

  • Weak Against (x2 Damage): ❄️ Ice | 🪨 Rock
  • Resistant To (0.5x Damage): 🪶 Flying | 🌱 Grass | 🥊 Fighting | 🐞 Bug | ⚙️ Steel
  • Double Resistant (0.25x Damage): ⚡ Electric | 🛡️ Ground

👉 This means you should avoid bringing Ground or Electric attackers, as their moves will do very little damage. Instead, focus your team around Ice and Rock attackers, which deal the most efficient damage.

Best Pokémon Counters Against Dynamax Zapdos

Here’s a list of top counters you should consider:

🧊 Ice-Type Counters

  • Mamoswine (Powder Snow + Avalanche) → High DPS Ice attacker, bulky and reliable.
  • Weavile (Ice Shard + Avalanche) → Fast and strong, but fragile.
  • Glaceon (Frost Breath + Avalanche) → Consistent Ice attacker with solid durability.
  • Galarian Darmanitan (Ice Fang + Avalanche) → Heavy Ice-hitter, though fragile.

🪨 Rock-Type Counters

  • Rhyperior (Smack Down + Rock Wrecker) → Great tanky attacker with high damage.
  • Rampardos (Smack Down + Rock Slide) → Glass cannon but deals insane DPS.
  • Tyranitar (Smack Down + Stone Edge) → Durable with solid Rock damage.
  • Terrakion (Smack Down + Rock Slide) → Excellent raid counter with good speed and power.

Team-Building Tips

1. Balance Attackers and Tanks

Not everyone should bring glass-cannon DPS Pokémon. A balanced raid party with both:

  • Tanks → Rhyperior, Tyranitar (to soak hits and build Max Moves).
  • Attackers → Mamoswine, Rampardos, Glaceon (to deal big chunks of damage).

This balance ensures your raid doesn’t collapse after a few Zapdos hits.

2. Prepare for Max Moves

Zapdos’s Max Lightning and Max Airstream can hit hard. Tanks with decent resistances can help absorb these while attackers focus on damage output.

3. Don’t Rely on Neutral Types

Pokémon with Dragon, Ground, or Electric moves won’t be very effective here. They’ll survive, but they won’t contribute enough damage to beat the timer.

Raid Coordination Strategy

To maximize your success in group raids:

  1. Assign Roles → Decide beforehand who brings tanky Rock-types and who brings high DPS Ice-types.
  2. Avoid Duplicates → Too many of the same Pokémon (like glass cannons) can cause wipeouts. Diversify.
  3. Use Charge TMs → Make sure your Pokémon are running the correct Rock/Ice movesets.
  4. Mega Evolutions → Mega Abomasnow (Ice) or Mega Aerodactyl (Rock) can boost allies’ attacks, making the raid much easier.
  5. Weather Boosts → Take advantage of in-game weather:
    • Snowy → boosts Ice damage
    • Partly Cloudy → boosts Rock damage

Example Raid Team

Here’s a sample 6-Pokémon team that balances both offense and defense:

  1. Mamoswine (Powder Snow + Avalanche)
  2. Rhyperior (Smack Down + Rock Wrecker)
  3. Glaceon (Frost Breath + Avalanche)
  4. Rampardos (Smack Down + Rock Slide)
  5. Tyranitar (Smack Down + Stone Edge)
  6. Weavile (Ice Shard + Avalanche)

This team ensures strong DPS while also providing enough bulk to withstand Zapdos’s Dynamax attacks.

Final Tips to Beat Dynamax Zapdos

  • Exploit Rock & Ice weaknesses — Don’t waste time with neutral attackers.
  • Coordinate roles — Tanks absorb damage, attackers strike hard.
  • Use Megas & Weather boosts for extra damage.
  • Time is key — Focus on maximizing DPS to avoid hitting the raid timer.

Conclusion

Dynamax Zapdos may look intimidating, but it’s absolutely beatable with planning and coordination. By focusing on its weaknesses, selecting the best Rock and Ice counters, and ensuring your raid party works together, you’ll have no trouble clipping this Legendary bird’s wings.

So, get your Mamoswine, Rhyperior, and Glaceon ready, gather your raid group, and take down Dynamax Zapdos like a pro!

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