Pokemon Go Moltres Raid Guide; Counters, Shiny, Professor Willow's Global Research

Whether you caught 30 or 0 Moltres on Moltres Day, we have great news! The fiery rubber chicken itself, Moltres, coming back from September 13 to September 20 as part of Professor Willow’s Special Research, so Trainers will have even more chances to get the premier Fire-type attacker in Pokemon Go. Here, we’ll show you exactly how to put out the flames of the “God Bird” and get your hands on it! Who knows, you may even encounter a Shiny version too!

Moltres Raid Basics

Moltres is a Fire/Flying type Pokemon which will spawn at either 41953 or 32496 CP, depending on if Niantic decides to use its regular or Moltres Day values. As such, we won’t know what CP it will be catchable at until the event starts, so check back! No matter what value it’s at, the below Pokemon will be the absolute best counters. Before we start smacking Moltres, we do need to know what attacks it’ll have:

Fast Attacks Charge Attacks

Fast Attacks	Charge Attacks
Fire Spin	Overheart
	Fire Blast
	Heat Wave
	*Sky Attack

*Sky Attack was Moltres’ exclusive move for Moltres Day. It is currently unknown if it will return during the event. If so, Fire Spin/Sky Attack becomes Moltres’ best moveset. If not, opt for Fire Spin/Overheat.

Here are the best Pokemon to counter Moltres:

Moltres Best Raid Counters

Tyranitar

The three certainties in life: death, taxes, and Smack Down/Stone Edge Tyranitar being the best raid attacker for an event. Bring as many as you have, even if they don't have Smack Down. 

Omastar

Lord Helix be praised. This prehistoric Pokemon matches up perfectly to counter Moltres and bring it down quickly. Ideally you want a legacy moveset with two Rock attacks, but one with Water Gun will certainly suffice. 

Golem and Alolan Golem

Give the ever so sligh nod to the original Golem here, but both will wreck havoc on poor Moltres. Rock-type moves preferred, but Alolan Golem's Electric-type moves can still deal tons of damage, especially in Rainy conditions. 

Raikou

You were doing your Field Research last month, weren't you? The most powerful Electric-type attacker, Raikou, makes a perfect foil for Moltres. Thunder Shock and Wild Charge are your ideal moves for maximum DPS here. 

Kyogre

The very big fish does a ton of damage to poor Moltres, especially under Rainy conditions. Waterfall and Hydro Pump provide maximum DPS to bring Moltres down faster. 

Any Rock, Water, or Electric Type

If your box isn't full of legendaries, pseudo-legendaries, or Gen 1 Rock types, then just play to Moltres' weaknesses. Rock types will deal 4x damage due to Moltres' double weakness to it, so prioritize those attackers, especially under Partly Cloudy conditions. 

Weather

Speaking of weather, let's quickly discuss optimal weather conditions. Sunny weather provides a Weather Boosted bird, meaning it'll be catchable with a higher CP. However, it will deal more damage to your Pokemon, so keep those Grass and Steel types away. Windy condittions will also give a Weather Boost, so be on the lookout for it as well. Partly Cloudy conditions boost Rock-type attacks, and Rainy conditions boost Water and Electric-type attacks, making them tthe optimal conditions for those looking to defeat Moltres. 

Shiny 

Yes, we will have the misfortune of being able to catch what may be the ugliest Shiny Pokemon in the entire game. Nintendo could have done something cool and made the flames blue or green, or made the a different color. Instead, they give us a sunburnt piece of raw chicken. Moltres will be a guaranteed catch if you encounter a Shiny version, so at least there's one positive here. (Seriously, this thing is freakin' ugly.)

Solo 

If you are a gluton for punishment, go ahead and try soloing Moltres. If you enjoy actually catching Moltres, bring some friends. With 6 powerful Smack Down/Stone Edge Tyranitar, though, you may not need too many friends. 

Best of luck with catching Molres, Trainers! While you're here, check out how to defeat Moltres' bird bretheran, the rest of the Legendary Trio, Articuno and Zapdos!