Hello students! My name is Professor Geekbeak, and today, I wish to draw attention to Necrozma – Dusk Mane. Not only is Necrozma – Dusk Mane one of the best Steel types in the game, it also has access to an Adventure Effect. Sunsteel Strike not only forces the game into daytime, it attracts some certain Pokemon. Grab your notebooks, class is in session. For those who wish to do their research independently, our raw data can be found here. And for those who wish for a simple visual guide, go ahead and take a look at the below visual guide by CaptGoldfish.

NOTE: Some visual guides will be outdated for the duration of GO FEST. They will remain mostly accurate, but lack modern counters, such as the Mega Mewtwo duo, or Eternatus. Not only that, please note that some raids will not be covered in an article for GO FEST, due to the sheer volume. Our team has decided that the best call is to only cover raids who are within the top 10 counters in their type. If you’re looking for a counter that does not have an article, feel free to use pokebattler.com

Course Schedule

This counter is one of many GO FEST raids. There are too many to put a coherent schedule here, but rest assured, pretty much every legendary, mega, and shadow under the sun will be going at some point. Look to your local GO FEST event or the Pokebattler.com raid schedule to see exactly what raids will be going.

Of course with most difficult raids, Necrozma – Dusk Mane has strong charge moves, some of which will hit super effective or doubly super effective against some of the strongest option. Approach with caution.

Effectiveness	Types
Double Resist (0.4x)	Poison Psychic
Resist (0.6x)	Normal Flying Rock Steel Grass Ice Dragon Fairy
Neutral	Fighting Bug Water Electric
Super Effective (1.6x)	Ground Ghost Fire Dark
Double Super Effective (2.6x)	—

Necrozma – Dusk Mane’s moveset includes the following charge moves:

• Dark Pulse
• Iron Head
• Future Sight
• Outrage
• Sunsteel Strike

The Dean’s List consists of the top 5 counters to Necrozma – Dusk Mane. As always, the Valedictorian, Salutatorian, and the Third Ranked will have their best moveset alternatives in a table with their rankings and a table detailing their defensive prowess against the charge moves listed above.

Primal Groudon A

Best Moveset: Mud Shot / Precipice Blades

DPS★★★★★

Tank★★★★★

Reliability★★★★☆

2

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Quick Move	Charge Move	Efficacy
Mud Shot	Precipice Blades	100%
Mud Shot	Earthquake	89%
Mud Shot	Fire Blast	86%
Mud Shot	Fire Punch	83%
Dragon Tail	Precipice Blades	64%
Dragon Tail	Fire Punch	63%

Shadow Reshiram A

Best Moveset: Fire Fang / Fusion Flare

DPS★★★★★

Tank★★★★★

Reliability★★☆☆☆

2

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Quick Move	Charge Move	Efficacy
Fire Fang	Fusion Flare	100%
Fire Fang	Overheat	89%
Fire Fang	Crunch	70%
Dragon Breath	Fusion Flare	67%
Fire Fang	Draco Meteor	63%
Dragon Breath	Overheat	62%

Necrozma - Dawn Wings A

Best Moveset: Shadow Claw / Moongeist Beam

DPS★★★★★

Tank★★★★★

Reliability★☆☆☆☆

2

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Quick Move	Charge Move	Efficacy
Shadow Claw	Moongeist Beam	100%
Psycho Cut	Moongeist Beam	94%
Metal Claw	Moongeist Beam	84%
Shadow Claw	Dark Pulse	65%
Shadow Claw	Future Sight	51%
Psycho Cut	Dark Pulse	49%

Defensive Grades for Top 3

Boss Move
Future Sight	—	—	🛡
Outrage	—	⚔	—
Dark Pulse	—	—	⚔⚔
Iron Head	🛡	🛡	—

Mega Charizard Y A

Best Moveset: Fire Spin / Blast Burn

DPS★★★★★

Tank★★★★★

Reliability★★☆☆☆

2

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Shadow Heatran A

Best Moveset: Fire Spin / Magma Storm

DPS★★★★☆

Tank★★★★☆

Reliability★★★★☆

2

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Also Noteworthy: A: Mega Tyranitar

We here at Pokebattler Pokémon Research Institute can’t expect you to have the best counters every time. So, here are some of our other best options, most of which will be easier to find than the members of the Dean’s List.

Mega Mewtwo X A

Best Moveset: Counter / Shadow Ball

DPS★★★★☆

Tank★★★★☆

Reliability★★☆☆☆

3

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Mega Absol A

Best Moveset: Snarl / Brutal Swing

DPS★★★★☆

Tank★★★★★

Reliability★☆☆☆☆

3

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Mega Blaziken A

Best Moveset: Fire Spin / Blast Burn

DPS★★★★☆

Tank★★★★★

Reliability★★★★☆

3

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Mega Mewtwo Y A

Best Moveset: Counter / Shadow Ball

DPS★★★★☆

Tank★★★★☆

Reliability★★★★☆

3

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Shadow Darkrai A

Best Moveset: Snarl / Shadow Ball

DPS★★★★☆

Tank★★★★☆

Reliability★★★☆☆

3

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Of course, besides our 10 best counters, there are plenty of Pokémon that also work against Necrozma – Dusk Mane. Here are a few star choices, worthy of praise.

A	Shadow HydreigonShadow GroudonMega GarchompShadow TyranitarReshiramMega Charizard XShadow ChandelureMega GengarMega HoundoomShadow ExcadrillShadow MoltresMega BanetteShadow GarchompHeatranShadow Ho-OhShadow SalamenceShadow CharizardShadow EnteiMega Salamence

Sometimes, the weather can be your most powerful ally. In certain weather conditions, certain Pokémon on our list excel. The most transformative cases are noted below.

Sunny/Clear

Shadow Groudon (1.7)Mega Blaziken (1.8)Mega Garchomp (1.8)

Fog

Mega Tyranitar (1.6)Shadow Hydreigon (1.7)Mega Absol (1.7)

Overall, Necrozma – Dusk Mane is a difficult raid. Even if it will die quickly, Necrozma – Dusk Mane is incredibly strong and will hit very hard if you’re not prepared, especially with some of its Charge Moves. Of course, if you wish to do more research on your box’s best Pokémon for the job, Pokebattler.com itself can be a great help! Remember, the best counter is the one you have powered up and ready to go. I grant extra credit to those who use their best friend bonus and the weather to their advantage. Class dismissed!