With the conclusion of Swablu Community Day in Pokémon GO comes a new raid boss in the form of Mega Altaria. The Dragon and Fairy type Pokémon will begin showing up at nearby gyms soon, so it’s important that you prepare your best team of counters. But with such a unique mix of types, finding them can be difficult. We’re here to help with the best Mega Altaria counters in Pokémon GO and a raid guide to answer all of your questions.
The Best Mega Altaria Counters
Below you’ll find a list of the very best Mega Altaria counters in Pokémon GO. Steel and Snow are the main types you’ll want to focus on, but there are a few options if you don’t have a full team of solid Metagross. For the list we stick to standard Pokémon, so keep reading to find out if there are alternative Shadow versions to use and the Mega we recommend.
| Pokémon | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
| Metagross | Bullet Punch | Meteor Mash |
| Dialga | Metal Claw | Iron Head |
| Mamoswine | Powder Snow | Avalanche |
| Galarian Darmanitan | Ice Fang | Avalanche |
| Genesect (either) | Metal Claw | Magnet Bomb |
| Excadrill | Metal Claw | Iron Head |
| Roserade | Poison Jab | Sludge Bomb |
| Jirachi | Confusion | Doom Desire |
| Mewtwo | Psycho Cut | Ice Beam |
| Gardevoir | Charm | Dazzling Gleam |
If you want to bring a Mega Pokémon into the battle then we recommend either Mega Gengar with Lick and Sludge Bomb or Mega Beedrill with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb. For Shadow, focus on the ones listed above already if you have them, but you can also include Shadow Scizor with Bullet Punch and Iron Head or Shadow Aggron with Iron Tail and Heavy Slam if you prefer them to other counters.
Now let’s get into the important questions and answers to give you everything you need to know in out Mega Altaria raid guide for Pokémon GO.
Mega Altaria Raid Guide
Here we answer the most frequently asked questions about Mega Altaria raids.
When do Mega Altaria Raids Begin and End
While players might expect Mega Altaria raids to begin during Swablu Community Day, they will actually begin right at the end of the celebration. Saturday, May 15th at 5pm local time is what to watch for. Niantic has confirmed that the raids will continue until at least Tuesday, June 1st at 10am, so you have quite a bit of time to beat and catch Altaria and get more Mega Energy.
How Many Players to Beat Mega Altaria
The key to winning Mega raids and getting the most Mega Altaria Energy is to beat them quickly. So the more players the better, but if you can’t get a bunch of friends to join we recommend at least 3-4 players for your group. But that assumes that you are going in with a solid team of counters, are high level players, possibly with friend bonuses, and the weather isn’t against you.
What Weather to Watch for
Here’s what to watch for when it comes to weather during Mega Altaria raids.
- Cloudy – Boosts Mega Altaria and his Fairy moves, also boosts Poison counters
- Windy – Boosts Mega Altaria and his Dragon moves, also boosts Psychic counters
- Snow – Boosts your Ice and Steel counters
Can Mega Altaria be Shiny, How to Catch Shiny Altaria
Yes, Mega Altaria can be shiny when you encounter and catch it. Of course, it won’t actually be Shiny Mega Altaria. The way these raids work is that you will encounter the evolved, but not Mega form of the Pokémon species. So if you are very lucky you will win the raid and encounter Shiny Altaria, which you can catch and add to your collection. You can then use the Mega Energy to Mega Evolve that Shiny Altaria or any other you have available.
And that’s the best Mega Altaria counters in Pokémon GO, along with our full raid guide.
