How to beat Shadow Lugia Raid in Pokemon Go

Ezequiel Leis
pokemon go taken over raid weekend boss shadow lugia

Shadow Lugia is one of the most OP Legendaries in Pokemon Go and players can grab it in its highly-anticipated Raid Weekend.

Featured during the Taken Over event for the Shared Skies Season, you need to assemble a team of solid counters to beat this powerful Pokemon.

We’ve got you covered as here are the recommended counters to beat Shadow Lugia Raids without much effort, along with its weaknesses, moveset, and shiny chances.

Best counters for Shadow Lugia Raid in Pokemon Go

PokemonMovesetSprite
Mega TyranitarBite and Brutal Swing
Dawn Wings NecrozmaShadow Claw and Moongeist Beam
Dusk Mane NecrozmaShadow Claw and Sunsteel Strike
Mega GengarLick and Shadow Ball
Mega GyaradosBite and Crunch
XurkitreeThunder Shock and Discharge

While the counters listed above are the best in Pokemon Go, you can also try using other options such as Hydreigon, Mega Diancie, Gholdengo, Zekrom, and Mega Houndoom.

How to get Shadow Lugia in Pokemon Go

You can get Shadow Lugia by defeating it in 5-Star Shadow Raids. These battles will take place during the Adventure Week Taken Over event from Saturday, August 10, to Sunday, August 11, 2024.

Shadow Lugia is an insanely powerful Pokemon boasting excellent bulk and one of the highest stat products in the Go Battle League. While it’s not as tanky as its regular version, its 20% boosted offensive power makes it a deadly threat in PvP’s Master tier.

Remember that Shadow Raids must be battled in person so Remote Raid Passes won’t work.

Pokemon Go Purified Gems & Shadow Shards explained

Purified Gems are items that subdue an enraged Shadow Raid Boss and make it easier to beat. Shadow Shards, on the other hand, are dropped by Team Rocket members, and on collecting enough of them, you can get Gems.

An enraged species has boosted Attack and Defense, making it crucial to use Purified Gems to beat them. You can find the icon for using Gems on the bottom left corner of your Raid battle screen.

shadow shard and purified gem in pokemon go
Professor Willow’s Refiner turns Shadow Shards into Purified Gems.

Shadow Lugia weaknesses

As a Psychic/Flying-type Pokemon, Lugia is weak against Dark, Electric, Ghost, Rock, and Ice-type moves.

It’s recommended to face this Raid with at least five high-level trainers, but it can also be attainable with a group of seven to 10 lower-level participants with the right counters.

Shadow Lugia moveset

Fast Moves

Charged Moves

  • Sky Attack (Flying)
  • Aeroblast (Flying)
  • Future Sight (Psychic)
  • Hydro Pump (Water)
  • Frustration (Normal)

Any Shadow Pokemon will always have to move Frustration when caught. While it normally cannot be changed, you can use a regular Charged TM to remove Frustration during any Taken Over event.

While Shadow Lugia Raids will run only on August 10 and 11, you can remove Frustration until August 12. That said, you can get its signature attack, Aeroblast, only with an Elite Charged TM.

shadow lugia profile in pokemon go
Shadow Lugia is bulky enough to tank even super-effective hits.

Can Shadow Lugia be shiny in Pokemon Go?

Yes, Shadow Lugia can be shiny in Pokemon Go. The odds of getting a shiny Shadow Legendary are 1 in 20 encounters.

Keep in mind that a shiny find from a 5-Star Raid is a guaranteed catch. So, use Pinap Berries to earn double Candy for Lugia and power it up.

To get other strong Shadow attackers in Pokemon Go, check out the teams of Giovanni, Arlo, Sierra, and Cliff.