The Best Pokemon for Max Raids

Hello dear smogoners!

I've been wondering for quite a while what are the most optimal monsters to use for the sole purpose of Max Raid battles. Etenratus, Zacian and Zamazenta are clearly in the S tier, but what other picks would be extremely useful? What type combinations would be the most problematic for those 3? Also as far as I know, every raid mon has its own points of damage dose it can take before it gets behind a barrier. With that in mind is going for as much damage output as possible really the most optimal strat? Does anybody know if inflicting the status conditions such as Freeze, Poison, Paralyze or Sleep affect the catching formula?

Here are my 2 pupils that have been putting in work. I encourage you to post your own picks and views. I will add all decent sets to this post for future reference!

Zacian-Crowned @ Rusted Sword
Ability: Intrepid Sword
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Behemoth Blade
- Play Rough
- Close Combat
- Wild Charge
Eternatus @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dynamax Cannon
- Sludge Bomb
- Flamethrower
- Toxic
Dracovish @ Choice Band
Ability: Strong Jaw
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fishious Rend
- Outrage
- Psychic Fangs
- Crunch
Darmanitan-Galar @ Choice Band
Ability: Gorilla Tactics
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Flare Blitz
- Earthquake
- Superpower
Zamazenta-Crowned @ Rusted Shield
Ability: Dauntless Shield
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Behemoth Bash
- Close Combat
- Crunch
- Wild Charge
Lapras @ Wide Lens
Level: 100
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpAtk
Modest Nature
- Sheer Cold / Fissure / Horn Drill
- Hydro Pump
- Freeze Dry
- Life Dew
 
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Blitz

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Could probably use this thread to discuss these, but I'll bite.

It's hard to beat something as reliable as Zacian, but here's a few other threats which are also fantastic.

:dracovish:
Dracovish @ Choice Band
Ability: Strong Jaw
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fishious Rend
- Outrage
- Psychic Fangs
- Crunch
We all know how brutally strong Dracovish is. In raids, Fishious Rend reliably chunks the hell out of most Raid Bosses. You're realistically never clicking the other moves but they're there in case you need to Dynamax in order to circumvent stuff like Torment, Disable, or the opponent becoming faster than you.

:dracozolt:
Dracozolt @ Choice Band
Ability: Hustle
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bolt Beak
- Outrage
- Low Kick
- Fire Fang
Dracozolt is more explosive than Dracovish at the cost of missing at the worst possible times, making it an inferior option overall. You'll be clicking Bolt Beak 99% of the time, but in the times you don't, Dynamax Dracozolt possesses Hustle boosted Max Attacks and great coverage. You can also use Aerial Ace for Max Airstream if you really want.

:darmanitan-galar:
Darmanitan-Galar @ Choice Band
Ability: Gorilla Tactics
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Flare Blitz
- Earthquake
- Superpower
This one is straightforward. CBCB Darm is really strong and its Icicle Crashes hurt.

:perrserker:
Perrserker @ Choice Band
Ability: Steely Spirit
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Close Combat
- Throat Chop
- Seed Bomb
Frankly this is the most filler moveset in existence, because the only thing you should ever be clicking is Iron Head. However, Perrserker itself isn't important here. It's the ability Steely Spirit, which increases the power of ally's Steel-type moves by 50%, and it stacks with itself. This creates a very strong core known as "3 cats + 1 dog", aka 3 Perrserker and 1 Zacian, which blow away Raid Bosses with massive damage. The downfall is that you have to not only use Perrserker, but also coordinate this with the other players, which makes it less reliable and unusable for soloing.

:zamazenta-crowned:
Zamazenta-Crowned @ Rusted Shield
Ability: Dauntless Shield
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Behemoth Bash
- Close Combat
- Crunch
- Wild Charge
I know you mentioned it, but here's a random moveset. This thing is straight up inferior to Zacian, but Behemoth Bash still does crazy amounts of damage. You can run stuff like Howl to boost your power or Wide Guard / Helping Hand to support the raid too.
_____

And that's pretty much it. What 99% of these things have in common is that they just click one move, so you can usually get away with using a Choice Band / Specs and just mauling the raid. Most things are also straight up faster than Raid Bosses due to the level difference, so you can run bulk if you want to survive more attacks, esp with the constant boosting that exists.
 
:dracozolt:
Dracozolt @ Choice Band
Ability: Hustle
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bolt Beak
- Outrage
- Low Kick
- Fire Fang
Dracozolt is more explosive than Dracovish at the cost of missing at the worst possible times, making it an inferior option overall. You'll be clicking Bolt Beak 99% of the time, but in the times you don't, Dynamax Dracozolt possesses Hustle boosted Max Attacks and great coverage. You can also use Aerial Ace for Max Airstream if you really want.
Wouldn't LO be better if you can just outright dynamax? It doesn't make you as much of a one-trick pony.

EDIT: I''ve added most of your sets to the initial post :pimp: If there's an interest in this topic I'll put some comments to each one. I purposely have omitted Perrserker as he really only shines if your teammates bring their steel-types to the table. Also does Steely Spirit stack?
 
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Wouldn't LO be better if you can just outright dynamax? It doesn't make you as much of a one-trick pony.
The thing is, dracozolt/dracovish actually do more damage without dmaxing. Only reason to dmax would be to break barriers faster or against immune mons
 
The thing is, dracozolt/dracovish actually do more damage without dmaxing. Only reason to dmax would be to break barriers faster or against immune mons
But you do more damage with other attacks than Bolt Beak in dynamax. Choice items are ignored.
 
But you do more damage with other attacks than Bolt Beak in dynamax. Choice items are ignored.
What I meant is, banded BB/FR while not dmaxed outdamage all dmaxed attacks due to having both higher BP tham the dmax and getting band boost :P
 
For Dracovish users: how do you deal with Drought Torkoal as an ally? Do you have to Dynamax at that point?
depends on the raid: some will end up setting their own weather within 1 turns so that's unnecessary.
Otherwise yes, d-max, or can even just lose and go again with a new set of AI
 
Personally I just run Gardevoir for everything with Psychic/Moonblast/Energy Ball/Shadow Ball so it can always hit everything at least neutrally and set up Grassy Terrain if the mon is an Earthquake spammer.

I run it with Trace so I can see whether the mon I'm catching has the HA I'm after or not.

At level 100 there's nothing that would knock me out unless the AI decided to attack me and only me. There's yet to be a raid I can't solo with this setup as long as I'm not stuck with Solrock AND Wobbufet in the same raid.
 
Zacian has been my go-to Raid attacker so far. Behemoth Blade/Play Rough/Crunch/Sacred Sword deal with pretty much everything.

Another very useful one is Togekiss. It's reasonably bulky, is immune to Ground and Dragon attacks, is able to Dynamax to get that shield down faster, and it helped prevent the party getting kicked out with Life Dew, in longer battles.
 
Grab 3 other friends with this build, use dynamax poison on lead to increase team's Sp. Atk

Seismitoad @ Choice Specs/(Life Orb if Dynamax lead)
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe - Modest Nature
- Surf
- Sludge Wave
- Pick 2 v
- Earth Power/ Focus Blast / Grass Knot / Hyper Voice / Sludge Bomb
 
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Vinc2612

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The really good Pokémon that has not been mentioned yet is Excadrill (as the host). If you play with NPC, max steel and max ground allows them to survive one more hit, often making the difference between winning or losing. If you play with humans, you can speed up the battle with max poison or fighting. Iron Head / Brick Break / Poison Jab / High Horsepower.
 
This isn't a 'Mon so much as a move, but it's worth noting that, for whatever reason, Clear Smog's stat-resetting effect works through barriers, making it an Arceussend against any non-Steel with Contrary, Defiant, Competitive, Moody or evasion moves. It can also pull double duty as Max Ooze, which is always nice.

I've been running it on my Galarian Weezing because top hat bulk, but I assume any 'Mon with it would work just as well.
 
I find bulk to be one of the number one success factors in raids...and allow me to introduce you to Assault Vest Escavalier kitted with Megahorn, Iron Head, Close Combat, and filler. If you do get the chance to Dmax, patch up defense with max steel spike, boost already high attack stat with max knuckle, and then let assault vest tank any special blows.
 

Vinc2612

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I find bulk to be one of the number one success factors in raids...and allow me to introduce you to Assault Vest Escavalier kitted with Megahorn, Iron Head, Close Combat, and filler. If you do get the chance to Dmax, patch up defense with max steel spike, boost already high attack stat with max knuckle, and then let assault vest tank any special blows.
Drill Run is your filler of choice, to patch special defense for your teammates. Your bulk is not that relevant when you are level 100, but you will love it when NPC Torkoal survives a special hit.
 
I have a bold Ribombee with Reflect/Light Screen/Pollen Puff/Moonblast. Screens are nice for surviving especially with NPCs, and with Light Clay they'll stay up for basically the whole fight. Pollen Puff is actually a great move for raids, combining offense and healing in one. Now you have to pass up a dynamax t1, it isn't that bulky itself (EVs could help), and it doesn't work in every matchup. But I like it.

Overall I can say that protecting the NPCs is a solid strategy, and even still with online randoms. Being fast can also help to finish a barrier or start the next one, though all things equal Zacian and Eternatus will outspeed. Most of the ones I see are still Level 70 though.

The ability is Sweet Veil, doesn't matter often but it helps when it does. Shield Dust could do alright but I don't think it stops max move effects. Not sure if Honey Gather/Pickup procs after raid battles.
 

Ropalme1914

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Another Pokémon that I find pretty nice is Gigantamax Lapras: set both of your screens while attacking. Of course it does have the drawback of not being able to set them if the shield is up, but still: you have a Pokémon with good bulk, nice coverage with Water/Ice/Electric, and that can set your screens on one turn without having to wait 4 turns to have the opportunity to Dynamax.
 
Another Pokémon that I find pretty nice is Gigantamax Lapras: set both of your screens while attacking. Of course it does have the drawback of not being able to set them if the shield is up, but still: you have a Pokémon with good bulk, nice coverage with Water/Ice/Electric, and that can set your screens on one turn without having to wait 4 turns to have the opportunity to Dynamax.
I also use Lapras but with different sets. Its purpose is an additional shieldbreaker without dynamaxing.

https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/c/lapras.gif

Lapras @ Wide Lens
Level: 100
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpAtk
Modest Nature
- Sheer Cold / Fissure / Horn Drill
- Hydro Pump
- Freeze Dry
- Life Dew

OHKO moves can breaks two shields when they are up, and they have acceptable accuracy against all Max Raid battle. Providing this Lapras is Level 100, the maximum level Raid battle is level 60. So the accuracy is 30+(100-60)=70% (therefore it gets better against lower level Raid battles)
Sheer Cold is preferable OHKO move because nothing immune to it, but keep in mind that against Ice type, it will have 10% lower accuracy
Wrong info, Ice types are immune to Sheer Cold, you might want to switch up if facing Ice, Ghost, or Flying type.
The rest is filler. Hydro Pump is the only single target water type attack, so I patch it with Wide Lens (Wide Lens doesn't affect OHKO accuracy btw). Life Dew may help to support your teammates
 
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Sheer Cold is preferable OHKO move because nothing immune to it, but keep in mind that against Ice type, it will have 10% lower accuracy, so you might want to switch up.
The 10% accuracy penalty is basically "accuracy STAB", and applies to Sheer Cold (but not the other OHKO moves) being used by a non-ice type, so Lapras never has to worry about that except in the rare case that it gets hit by Magic Powder. Ice-type opponents are completely immune to the move, as is anything with Sturdy.
 
OHKO moves can breaks two shields when they up, and they have acceptable accuracy against all Max Raid battle. Providing this Lapras is Level 100, the maximum level Raid battle is level 60. So the accuracy is 30+(100-60)=70% (therefore it gets better against lower level Raid battles)
Is this mechanic for accuracy of OHKO moves only true in max raid battles, or is it also true in game and in battles with real people if levels aren't set to 50?
 
It's true in any battle where there's a level difference of any kind. Note that as soon as the OHKO user faces a level disadvantage of even 1, the accuracy doesn't go to 29%, it drops immediately to 0%.
 

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