How to counter Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion in Pokemon GO

The legendary Swords of Justice trio—Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion—have made their triumphant return to Pokemon GO five-star raids as part of the Festival of Lights celebration. These Generation V legendaries present unique tactical challenges that demand specialized counter strategies.

During this limited-time event spanning ten days, trainers will encounter these powerful raid bosses emerging randomly from five-star raid eggs. Each member possesses distinctive type combinations that require careful team preparation and execution to overcome.

While their defensive capabilities can prove challenging, successfully defeating and capturing all three Swords of Justice provides significant value for both PvE and PvP content. Their unique typings make them valuable additions to any trainer’s roster.

How to counter Cobalion in Pokemon GO

Top-tier counters for Cobalion include Landorus (Therian Form), Swampert with Hydro Cannon, Torterra with Frenzy Plant, and Golurk with Earth Power. These selections capitalize on Cobalion’s vulnerabilities while minimizing risk from its coverage moves.

As the signature member of the trio, Cobalion’s steel-fighting dual typing grants it numerous resistances without any double weaknesses. This defensive profile makes it particularly challenging compared to its counterparts.

Cobalion operates with a constrained moveset featuring steel and psychic fast moves, complemented by rock, fighting, and steel charged attacks. Its primary weaknesses target fire, ground, and fighting-type moves.

The optimal scenario involves facing a Cobalion restricted to purely steel or fighting moves. In these cases, flying-fire hybrids like Mega Charizard Y, Moltres, and Ho-Oh can unleash super-effective fire damage while naturally resisting steel and fighting attacks. However, this strategy carries significant risk since Cobalion can deploy Stone Edge, which deals double damage to flying-fire types.

This vulnerability makes hard-hitting ground types without fighting or steel weaknesses the most reliable solution. Golurk and Swampert stand out as premier counters, resisting most of Cobalion’s arsenal while delivering super-effective ground-type damage. Additional viable options include Garchomp, Landorus, and Hippowdon, all capable of sustaining damage while outputting consistent DPS.

How to counter Terrakion in Pokemon GO

Terrakion proves vulnerable to nearly any potent psychic, water, or grass-type attacker. Its extensive weakness list makes it the most approachable of the three for trainers with diverse rosters.

Unlike Cobalion’s defensive steel typing, Terrakion’s rock-fighting combination creates seven distinct vulnerabilities: water, grass, fighting, steel, fairy, ground, and psychic. While none constitute double weaknesses, the sheer quantity of options provides flexibility in team building.

Compounding Terrakion’s defensive issues, its offensive coverage remains relatively limited. It employs psychic and rock fast moves alongside rock, ground, and fighting charged attacks, offering minimal counterplay against types that exploit its weaknesses.

Trainers can choose from an extensive roster of effective counters including Mewtwo with Psystrike, Exeggutor with Bullet Seed and Solar Beam, Gyarados with Waterfall and Hydro Pump, Palkia with Aqua Tail, Zacian with Quick Attack and Play Rough, Torterra with Razor Leaf and Frenzy Plant, and Vaporeon with Water Gun and Hydro Pump. This diversity allows trainers to utilize their strongest available options.

How to counter Virizion in Pokemon GO

Virizion presents the most straightforward counter strategy among the Swords of Justice, thanks to its critical double weakness to flying-type attacks.

Diverging from Cobalion and Terrakion, Virizion’s grass-fighting typing creates a devastating vulnerability to flying moves. Additional standard weaknesses include poison, psychic, fire, ice, and fairy-type attacks.

Similar to Cobalion, Virizion possesses access to a rock-type charged move designed to punish its most effective counters. Despite this coverage threat, the overwhelming damage potential of flying attacks justifies the calculated risk.

Premium flying-type options include Salamence with Air Slash and Draco Meteor, Dragonite with Dragon Tail and Hurricane, Charizard with Wing Attack and Blast Burn, Mega Pidgeot with Gust and Brave Bird, and Lugia with Extrasensory and Sky Attack. For trainers lacking these specific counters, exploiting standard weaknesses with Sylveon with Charm and Moonblast, Espeon with Confusion and Psychic, Glaceon with Frost Breath and Avalanche, Flareon with Fire Spin and Overheat, Gardevoir with Charm and Dazzling Gleam, and Exeggutor with Bullet Seed and Psychic provides reliable alternative strategies.

Beyond basic type matching, experienced trainers should implement several optimization techniques. Always prepare a backup battle team to minimize revival time between attempts—this can save crucial seconds during short raid windows. Master the dodge timing for charged moves, particularly Stone Edge from Cobalion and Virizion, which can one-shot vulnerable counters.

Coordinate with local raid groups to maximize damage bonuses and ensure successful captures. Time your charged moves to activate immediately after Virizion uses its rock attack, maximizing damage during safe windows.

For maximum efficiency, prioritize Pokemon with same-type attack bonus (STAB) and optimal move combinations. Monitor raid boss move patterns during the first few seconds to adjust your strategy accordingly.

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