Dynamax Zapdos counters, weakness, and battle tips in Pokémon Go

Dynamax Zapdos is the second Legendary we’re seeing in Max Battles for Pokémon Go. It’s making its debut during Max Monday on Jan. 27 from 6-7 p.m. and will be available until Feb. 3 when Dynamax Moltres will debut.

While Dynamax Zapdos isn’t as hard as the very tough Gigantamax battles we’ve seen in the past, it can be tricky as there’s not many Dynamax Pokémon to use to counter it.

Below, we list out some general Max Battle tips and counters for Dynamax Zapdos in Pokémon Go.

Zapdos is electric- and flying-type, so it only has two weaknesses to exploit: rock– and ice-type moves. Just like its sibling Articuno, the problem is that there aren’t any Dynamax Pokémon that have rock-type Dynamax moves (as of this writing).

There aren’t really many Dynamax Pokémon out there that will help you beat down Zapdos, but there are a few that will resist its attacks, allowing you to take advantage of bulk to play the defensive option.

Dynamax Zapdos best counters

With the above in mind, there are a few counters to bring to Zapdos. We recommend the following to focus on offensive moves:

For the most part, you’ll want to keep your offensive Pokémon stocked away while your tanks soak up hits and charge the max meter. Swap to these when it’s time to Dynamax or Gigantamax, but keep them in reserve otherwise, as Zapdos’ moveset can take these out quickly.

As for defense, you should bring the following with Max Guard and Max Spirit:

These Pokémon are just meant to tank hits from Zapdos while they quickly charge up the max meter with their fast moves. Excadrill can resist just about everything Zapdos can throw at it, while the two grass-types will struggle against Drill Peck. Metagross will also hold its weight decently against Zapdos, so use what you have and pay attention to Zapdos’ movesets.

Even if you don’t have these powered up, consider just bringing the strongest Dynamax Pokémon you have. If you have a maxed out Dynamax Gengar and your Dynamax Cryogonal isn’t leveled (and you don’t have the means to power it up), just bring your Gengar.

If you’ve been struggling in Max Battles, here are some general tips to survive — and make sure you’re an asset to your team. While Gigantamax Battles are tough, a Legendary Max Battle shouldn’t be as tough as that. You can slack a little, but you should still heed our advice: