Defeat Mega Salamence in Pokémon GO with this raid guide! Discover the best high-DPS counters, top budget options, and their optimal movesets. You will also find out how many trainers are needed to defeat Mega Salamence, including the perfect CP for Salamence caught from raids.
Mega Salamence is a powerhouse Mega Raid boss, but it is highly exploitable due to its key weaknesses. As a Dragon- and Flying-type Pokémon, Mega Salamence is 2.56× double weak to Pokémon with Ice-type attacks, and 1.6× weak to Rock-, Dragon-, and Fairy-type attacks. Bringing a fully optimized team of high-DPS counters utilizing Ice types will bring it down efficiently.
Mega Salamence in Mega Raids
Mega Salamence returns to Mega Raids from Wednesday, July 22, at 6:00 a.m. to Tuesday, July 28, at 9:00 p.m. local time. Whether you are looking to farm Salamence Mega Energy, hunt for its shiny variant, or secure the top-tier Dragon- and Flying-type PvE raid attacker, having the right team is essential.
Mega Salamence is currently the #5 best Flying-type raid attacker and the #7 best Dragon-type raid attacker in Pokémon GO.
SEE: The Complete List of July 2026 Pokémon GO Events
Mega Salamence Recommended Counters
The following are the 10 best Pokémon that deal supreme supereffective damage to Mega Salamence, heavily favoring top-tier Ice-type and Mega attackers.
Mega Salamence has a massive double weakness to Ice, always prioritize Ice-type movesets over Dragon-type ones to maximize your damage output while keeping your own team safe from its Dragon-type attacks.
| POKÉMON | RECOMMENDED MOVESET |
| White Kyurem | Ice Fang as a Fast Attack and Ice Burn as a Charged Attack |
| Black Kyurem | Dragon Tail as a Fast Attack and Freeze Shock as a Charged Attack |
| Mega Rayquaza | Dragon Tail as a Fast Attack and Dragon Ascent as a Charged Attack |
| Mega Mewtwo Y | Psycho Cut as a Fast Attack and Ice Beam as a Charged Attack |
| Mega Mewtwo X | Psycho Cut as a Fast Attack and Ice Beam as a Charged Attack |
| Shadow Mamoswine | Powder Snow as a Fast Attack and Avalanche as a Charged Attack |
| Mega Abomasnow | Powder Snow as a Fast Attack and Weather Ball (Ice) as a Charged Attack |
| Eternatus | Dragon Tail as a Fast Attack and Dynamax Cannon as a Charged Attack |
| Shadow Weavile | Ice Shard as a Fast Attack and Triple Axel as a Charged Attack |
| Mega Gardevoir | Charm as a Fast Attack and Triple Axel as a Charged Attack |
Shadow vs. Mega Performance
While Shadow Mamoswine and Shadow Mewtwo offer massive raw DPS advantages due to the 20% Shadow damage bonus, they require significant Stardust investment and take more damage in return. Megas like Mega Rayquaza provide invaluable attack boosts to your entire raid group, making it a top priority if you are raiding in pairs or small groups.
Note that White and Black Kyurem, alongside Mega Rayquaza, dominate the top slots thanks to their incredible raw offensive power and high damage per second (DPS).
You can pick any six from these to form your battle party before heading into the raid. Remember that you can only have one Mega-Evolved or Primal Pokémon active on your team at any given time. Once you choose your preferred Mega, use the regular version of the others in your battle party.
If you want to earn extra Salamence Candy while participating in the raids, you can pick Mega Rayquaza in your raid party.
Which Mega Evolution Should You Use?
For Maximum Damage (DPS): Run Mega Rayquaza or Mega Abomasnow. They deal great damage and boost your teammates’ Ice and Dragon attacks.
For Farming XL Candy: Evolve a Mega Rayquaza, Mega Salamence, or Mega Garchomp. Having a matching Dragon-type Mega active increases your chances of earning Candy XL when catching Mega Salamence after the raid.
Best Mega Salamence Budget Counters
If you don’t have access to legendary Kyurem fusions, Shadow variants, or maxed-out Mega Pokémon, don’t worry. Mega Salamence’s double weakness to Ice means there are plenty of excellent, readily available budget alternatives
- Mamoswine with Powder Snow as a Fast Attack and Avalanche as a Charged Attack.
- Glaceon with Frost Breath or Ice Shard as a Fast Attack and Avalanche as a Charged Attack.
- Weavile with Ice Shard as a Fast Attack and Avalanche or Triple Axel as a Charged Attack.
- Cetitan with Ice Shard as a Fast Attack and Avalanche as a Charged Attack.
- Avalugg with Ice Fang as a Fast Attack and Avalanche as a Charged Attack.
Mega Salamence Raid Tips
Maximizing your performance in these raids takes more than just a great roster of counters. Consider these strategies:
- Lead with a Mega Ice-type Pokémon like Mega Rayquaza or Mega Abomasnow to activate an instant damage boost for your raid partners’ Dragon- or Ice-type attacks.
- Try to focus entirely on Ice-type movesets to take full advantage of the massive 2.56× double weakness multiplication.
- If possible, battle Mega Salamence during Snowy weather to give your Ice attacks an extra offensive edge, though it can easily be taken down in standard weather as well.
Mega Salamence Moves to Watch Out For
Mega Salamence can use a variety of moves that impact your survival rate:
- Fire Fang or Bite (Fast Attack) and Fire Blast or Hydro Pump (Charged Attack): Your Ice types will easily resist or take neutral damage from these, making the raid much easier.
- Dragon Tail (Fast Attack) and Draco Meteor or Outrage (Charged Attack): Highly dangerous for your Dragon-type counters like Black/White Kyurem and Mega Rayquaza. Be prepared to dodge frequently if Salamence has a Dragon-type Charged Attack.
- Fly (Fast Attack): Deals incredibly fast, heavy, and consistent STAB flying-type damage
How Many Trainers are Needed?
Solo (1 Trainer): Entirely possible for high-level trainers utilizing a full team of Level 40+ top-tier Ice-type counters (like Shadow Mamoswine or Galceon).
2–3 Trainers: Recommended for average players with standard budget counters. This ensures a fast victory to secure maximum Mega Energy rewards.
4+ Trainers: A safe bet for lower-level players or groups relying on auto-recommended teams.
Hundo CP for Salamence from Raids
After winning the Mega Raid, you will receive Salamence Mega Energy, various item rewards, and an encounter with a regular Salamence (which can be shiny).
The “hundo” CP (100% IVs) depends heavily on the weather conditions when you get to the encounter screen:
- Standard Hundo CP: 2142 CP
- Weather-Boosted Hundo CP: 2678 CP (Windy weather).
If you get a strong one, the best standard attacks for Salamence are Dragon Tail as a Fast Attack and Outrage as a Charged Attack. If you want to use Salamence as a Flying-type attacker, then teach it Fly as a second Charged Attack.
Salamence is currently the #14 best Flying-type raid attacker and the #30 best Dragon-type raid attacker in Pokémon GO.
Sources that helped in creating this content: Pokébattler and Pokémon GO Hub database.
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