Pokemon Go is holding its next Super Mega Raid Day this Saturday, June 27, and it’s introducing another new Mega-Evolved Pokemon to the game: Mega Skarmory.
While standard Skarmory favors defense, Mega Skarmory is a quick and powerful attacker, making it a formidable opponent in battle. It’s also one of the coolest new forms in the game, gaining golden armor and giant, razor-sharp talons upon Mega Evolving.
To help you conquer the new Super Mega Raid boss, we’ve rounded up some tips on how to defeat Mega Skarmory, including recommended counters and the best moves to teach it once you have one on your team.
Mega Skarmory Raid Day Hours And Bonuses
Mega Skarmory is only appearing in Super Mega Raids on June 27. These Raids will occur from 2 to 5 PM local time and are even more challenging than standard ones, requiring a group of at least seven players who each have their own Mega-Evolved Pokemon.
Fortunately, a few bonuses will be active during the event to make it easier to join Raids. The number of Remote Raid Passes you can hold is temporarily being bumped up to 20, and you can get up to six regular Raid Passes for free by spinning the Photo Discs at Gyms.
You can see the full list of bonuses below:
- Remote Raid Pass limit increased to 20 (June 26-27)
- Receive up to six free Raid Passes by spinning the Photo Disc at Gyms
- Increased chance to encounter shiny Skarmory after completing a Raid
On top of that, new Timed Research tasks will also be available during the event. Complete these to earn other helpful rewards, including a chance to catch Houndoom, which will be very effective against Mega Skarmory.
Mega Skarmory Weaknesses
While many Pokemon change types upon Mega Evolving, Mega Skarmory retains its steel/flying type combination, so it has the same weaknesses as standard Skarmory. The armor bird Pokemon is only vulnerable to fire and electric attacks, making those your best options to use when participating in a Mega Skarmory Raid.
Best Mega Skarmory Counters
Fire and electric Pokemon deal extra damage when using attacks of their own type, so you’ll want to pack your team with as many of them as possible to maximize your chances against Mega Skarmory. Any fully evolved or legendary Pokemon of those types will prove useful, but here are a few recommendations:
Fire
| Pokemon | Type | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
| Mega Charizard Y | Fire/Flying | Fire Spin | Blast Burn |
| Mega Blaziken | Fire/Fighting | Fire Spin | Blast Burn |
| Entei | Fire | Fire Spin | Overheat |
| Heatran | Fire/Steel | Fire Spin | Magma Storm |
| Reshiram | Fire/Dragon | Fire Fang | Fusion Flare |
| Blacephalon | Fire/Ghost | Incinerate | Mind Blown |
| Cinderace | Fire | Fire Spin | Blast Burn |
Electric
| Pokemon | Type | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
| Mega Ampharos | Electric/Dragon | Volt Switch | Zap Cannon |
| Mega Manectric | Electric | Thunder Fang | Wild Charge |
| Raikou | Electric | Thunder Shock | Wild Charge |
| Electivire | Electric | Thunder Shock | Wild Charge |
| Zekrom | Dragon/Electric | Charge Beam | Fusion Bolt |
| Xurkitree | Electric | Thunder Shock | Discharge |
| Regieleki | Electric | Lock-On | Thunder Cage |
Best Moves For Mega Skarmory
Skarmory’s attack stats gain a significant boost upon Mega Evolving, turning the armor bird Pokemon into one of the most formidable attackers in the game.
If you want to leverage Skarmory’s flying type, you’ll dish out the most damage by teaching it the Fast Attack Air Slash and the Charged Attack Sky Attack. These two moves will maximize Skarmory’s offensive powers and make it a great counter against fighting, bug, and grass Pokemon.
If you’d rather use Mega Skarmory as a steel-type attacker, your best options are the Fast Attack Steel Wing and the Charged Attack Flash Cannon. These will make the Mega Pokemon a very effective counter against rock, ice, and fairy types.
