Zacian counters, weakness, and best moveset in Pokémon Go

Zacian, the Legendary wolf from the Galar region, debuted in Pokémon Go in August 2021.

Like fellow Sword and Shield legendary Zamazenta, Zacian notably has two different forms. Its plain “Hero of Many Battles” version is only fairy-type, whereas it gains a steel-typing with its “Crowned Sword” form. The Crowned Sword version of Zacian is not available in Pokémon Go yet, so this guide will only provide information on its “Hero of Many Battles” form until it gets added to the game.

This Pokémon Go guide explains Zacian’s weakness and the best counters as it returns as part of the Max Out Finale event, which runs from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1, 2024.

In its “Hero of Many Battles” form, Zacian is a pure Fairy-type Pokémon, which means it’s weak against poison and steel-type moves. Focus on these when building a team.

On the flip side, Zacian is resistant to bug, dark, dragon, and fighting-type moves. It takes reduced damage from these types, so you’ll want to avoid using them in battle.

Here are some of the best counters you can use against Zacian in Pokémon Go:

If you have enough Mega Energy, you can also use Mega Gengar with Lick or Shadow Ball paired with Sludge Bomb. Mega Beedrill with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb will also do quite a bit of damage, as will Mega Aggron with Iron Tail and Heavy Slam.

Ideally for the most damage, you’ll also want the weather to be snowy or cloudy, since this will give you weather boost for steel-type moves and fairy-type moves respectively.

For raids and gyms, Zacian’s best moveset is Snarl and Play Rough. Although this legendary Pokémon sadly lacks a fairy-type fast move, it can still be a very effective fairy-type attacker. Thanks to Snarl, it can generate energy fast enough to unleash the powerful Play Rough fairly frequently.

Zacian also holds a place in the Master League meta, where it can take out a range of strong opponents including Zekrom, Dragonite, and even Complete Forme Zygarde. You’ll want to run Snarl with Close Combat and Play Rough to provide wide coverage. It will also need to be powered up as high as possible with XL Candy.

Is Zacian shiny in Pokémon Go?

Shiny Zacian is available to encounter in Pokémon Go. This rare variant made its long-awaited debut during the Legendary Heroes event in September 2024.

Just like all shiny Pokémon, the chances of finding a shiny Zacian are very slim. There’s no way to boost your odds – it’s simply a case of taking part in as many raids as you can and hoping for the best. Good luck!