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Pokémon GO Zacian Raids: Weaknesses, Counters, Shiny Status, and Availability

Zacian’s raid weaknesses change by form: use Steel or Poison against Hero of Many Battles, and Fire or Ground against Crowned Sword. Shiny Zacian is available, but raid schedules vary by date and location.
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Check which Zacian form is in the raid before choosing a team: Hero of Many Battles Zacian is weak to Steel and Poison, while Crowned Sword Zacian is weak to Fire and Ground. Shiny Zacian is available in Pokémon GO, but the sources cited here do not establish its odds. A Crowned Sword raid also awards an encounter with Zacian in Hero of Many Battles form.

What is Zacian weak to in Pokémon GO?

Zacian’s weaknesses depend on its form. Hero of Many Battles is pure Fairy, so Steel and Poison attacks deal super-effective damage. Crowned Sword is Fairy/Steel, making Fire and Ground the relevant weaknesses. Pokémon GO Hub’s September 10, 2026 guide and counter database describe these form-specific matchups (Pokémon GO Hub).

Raid boss form Typing Use these attack types Do not confuse with
Hero of Many Battles Fairy Steel or Poison Fire and Ground are not super effective against this form.
Crowned Sword Fairy/Steel Fire or Ground Steel and Poison are not its listed weaknesses.

Fairy also resists Bug, Dark, Fighting, and Dragon attacks. The form label matters more than a generic “Zacian counter” list: a team built for Hero form can be a poor fit for Crowned Sword, and vice versa.

Best counters for Hero of Many Battles Zacian

Prioritize powered-up attackers with strong Steel moves; Poison is a second super-effective option. Pokémon GO Hub’s September 2026 guide names Crowned Sword Zacian, Dusk Mane Necrozma, Crowned Shield Zamazenta, Shadow Metagross, and Mega Metagross among strong examples. Its counter database’s modeled rankings also place Steel ahead of Poison by move type. Rankings are simulator estimates, not guaranteed raid outcomes, and can vary with settings (Pokémon GO Hub Zacian raid guide; Pokebattler Hero Zacian counters).

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  • Build around Steel attackers and their suitable Steel moves.
  • Use Poison attackers if your available Steel team is weaker.
  • Do not bring Fire or Ground specifically for super-effective damage against Hero Zacian.

Crowned Sword Zacian weaknesses and counters

Crowned Sword Zacian’s Steel typing makes Fire and Ground attacks super effective. Pokémon GO Hub lists Primal Groudon, Mega Y Charizard, Heatran, Blaziken, and Mega Garchomp as counter examples. Favor high-level attackers with suitable Fire or Ground moves rather than carrying over the Steel/Poison advice for Hero form (Pokémon GO Hub Crowned Sword Zacian raid guide).

The guide says a trio may be possible in ideal weather with max-level counters, but recommends four to six high-level trainers for a safer clear. That is a guide estimate, not a universal minimum: trainer levels, moves, bonuses, weather, and team composition affect the result.

Can Zacian be shiny?

Yes. Shiny Zacian became available during Pokémon GO’s September 2024 Legendary Heroes event. The official announcement described it as the first opportunity to encounter Shiny Zacian in the game (Pokémon GO Legendary Heroes announcement). The sources cited here do not state a numeric shiny rate, so no particular number of raids can be treated as a guarantee.

What form do you catch after a Zacian raid?

Even after defeating a Crowned Sword Zacian raid boss, the post-raid encounter is Hero of Many Battles Zacian. Crowned Sword is a form change, not the raid catch form, according to Pokémon GO Hub’s form guide.

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Changing Hero Zacian into Crowned Sword

  1. Have a Hero of Many Battles Zacian that knows the Charged Attack Iron Head.
  2. Meet the reported requirement of 1,000 Crowned Sword Energy.
  3. Use the form-change option to change it into Crowned Sword form. Iron Head changes to Behemoth Blade in that form.

These requirements and the raid encounter form are reported by the 2026 Crowned Sword raid guide (Pokémon GO Hub Crowned Sword Zacian raid guide).

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Behemoth Blade’s Adventure Effect

When Zacian is in Crowned Sword form, its Charged Attack Iron Head becomes Behemoth Blade. Pokémon GO’s feature page says activating Behemoth Blade’s Adventure Effect costs 5,000 Stardust and 5 Zacian Candy, and boosts attacks in raids and Max Battles for six minutes (Pokémon GO Behemoth Blade and Adventure Effects).

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Zacian raid catch CP

Pokémon GO Hub’s 2026 Hero Zacian guide gives the following catch CP ranges. The listed top values are identified by the guide as 100% IV catches; weather and level conditions are part of each figure (Pokémon GO Hub Zacian raid guide).

Catch conditions Published CP range Top value identified as 100% IV
Level 20, no weather boost 2,100–2,188 CP 2,188 CP
Level 25, Cloudy weather boost 2,625–2,735 CP 2,735 CP

When is Zacian available in raids?

Availability depends on the date and location. The official Pokémon GO page confirms Crowned Sword Zacian in five-star raids at the GO Wild Area: Sendai event, scheduled for November 6–8, 2026. It also says trainers can earn Crowned Sword Energy by defeating it. This is a specific event appearance, not evidence of continuous global availability (GO Wild Area: Sendai 2026).

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The official pages cited here do not establish whether Zacian is in the regular global raid rotation on October 8, 2026, nor do they provide the next regular rotation after its September run. Check the in-game raid schedule for your location and current hours; event timings or availability can differ by place and may change.

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