How to beat Mega Salamence raids in Pokemon GO: Best counters, shiny odds, 100% CP, and more

A Pokemon GO Mega Salamence raid guide can be helpful for players wishing to challenge the raid boss. The Mega Evolution of the Dragon- and Flying-type pseudo legendary from the Hoenn region was introduced in GO in January 2023. Players have had the opportunity to capture it a few times since its release.

The latest GO Mega Salamence raid cycle starts at 10 am local time on August 25, 2025, and ends at 10 am local time on September 2, 2025.

This Mega Salamence raid guide covers everything you need to know in order to defeat the creature.

Check out the current Pokemon GO raid bosses that you can encounter in-game

Best counters for Pokemon GO Mega Salamence raids

The following list are Pokemon that are the best counters to Mega Salamence:

White Kyurem with Ice Fang and Ice Burn
Black Kyurem with Dragon Tail and Freeze Shock
Mega Rayquaza with Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe
Mega Gardevoir with Charm and Dazzling Gleam or Triple Axel
Eternatus with Dragon Tail and Dynamax Cannon

Mega Salamence in the game (Image via TPC)

Best Ice-type counters to Mega Salamence

Pokemon	Fast Move	Charged Move
White Kyurem	Ice Fang	Ice Burn
Black Kyurem	Dragon Tail	Freeze Shock
Shadow Mamoswine	Powder Snow	Avalanche
Shadow Weavile	Ice Shard	Triple Axel
Baxcalibur	Ice Fang	Avalanche

Best Dragon-type counters to Mega Salamence

Pokemon	Fast Move	Charged Move
Eternatus	Dragon Tail	Dynamax Cannon
Mega Rayquaza	Dragon Tail	Breaking Swipe
Mega Garchomp	Dragon Tail	Outrage
Shadow Palkia	Dragon Tail	Draco Meteor
Mega Salamence	Dragon Tail	Draco Meteor

Best Fairy-type counters to Mega Salamence

Pokemon	Fast Move	Charged Move
Mega/Shadow Gardevoir	Charm	Dazzling Gleam
Crowned Sword Zacian	Metal Claw	Play Rough
Incarnate Forme Enamorus	Fairy Wind	Dazzling Gleam
Xerneas	Geomancy	Moonblast
Togekiss	Charm	Dazzling Gleam

Best Rock-type counters to Mega Salamence

Pokemon	Fast Move	Charged Move
Mega Diancie	Rock Throw	Rock Slide
Shadow Rhyperior	Smack Down	Rock Wrecker
Mega Tyranitar	Smack Down	Stone Edge
Shadow Rampardos	Smack Down	Rock Slide
Mega Aerodactyl	Rock Throw	Rock Slide

Also read: GO's next season teases a new Mega, a Mythical forme, and more

What are Mega Salamence's weaknesses in Pokemon GO?

Thanks to its Dragon- and Flying-type, Mega Salamence is weak to the following types:

Ice (256% weakness)
Fairy (160% weakness)
Rock (160% weakness)
Dragon (160% weakness)

Mega Salamence takes the most damage from Ice-types, so take advantage of that.

On the other hand avoid using the following types as Mega Salamence is resistant to the following:

Grass (39.1%)
Ground (39.1%)
Bug (62.5%)
Fighting (62.5%)
Fire (62.5%)
Water (62.5%)

Also read: Is GO increasing trainer level cap?

Shiny odds from Mega Salamence raids in Pokemon GO

Shiny Salamence and Shiny Mega Salamence (Image via TPC)

Yes, you can encounter a Shiny Salamence after defeating its raids. There is a 1-in-128 or 0.78125% chance of this happening. Mega Evolving a Shiny Salamence will give you a shiny Mega Salamence.

Also read: What is the maximum Pokemon Storage in GO?

100% CP from Mega Salamence raids in Pokemon GO raids (hundo CP)

The Salamence encounter after you defeat the raid boss will have the following CP rages, based on the creature's IVs and prevalent weather conditions:

No weather boost: 2,773 CP - 2,875 CP at level 20 (10/10/10 - 15/15/15 IVs)
Weather boosted (Windy): 3,467 CP - 3,594 CP at level 25 (10/10/10 - 15/15/15 IVs)

Also read: GO current Raid Bosses: 5-star Raids, Megas, and more

Pokemon GO Mega Salamance stats and moves as a raid boss

As a Mega Raid boss, Mega Salamance has the following stats:

Combat Power: 50,285
Attack: 310
Defense: 251
Stamina: 9,000 HP
Fast Attacks: Bite, Dragon Tail, Fire Fang
Charged Attacks: Draco Meteor, Outrage*, Fire Blast, Fly, Hydro Pump

Mega Salamence raids last for 300 seconds, and it up to 20 trainers can participate in this challenge together, either in person using a Premium Battle Pass or using a Remote Raid Pass.

Also read: “Everything that is wrong with Pokemon GO”: Redditor on Niantic’s handling of Eternatus debut

Check out our other Pokemon GO guides:

About the author

Lukus Herblet is a gaming journalist at Sportskeeda, and his primary focus is Pokémon. He completed the Digital Media Productions program at the Wexford-Missaukee Career Technical Center in Cadillac, Michigan, where he learned the fundamentals of online journalism and honed his storytelling skills.

Lukus remembers watching his brother complete Kingdom Hearts 1 and developing a soft spot for the franchise. However, he has a strong emotional attachment to the Pokémon franchise, with which he fell in love as a child. He finds joy in crafting engaging and insightful content that resonates with the global fanbase. In just under three years, Lukus has published 1.8k+ stories and garnered 3.75 million reads on the Sportskeeda website.

Lukus conducts extensive research and multiple fact-checks to ensure the accuracy and relevancy of his articles. He also weaves in discussions about his own gameplay experiences to add a personal touch. Currently, he can be found either grinding multiplayer ranked ladders in games like League of Legends and Apex Legends or delving into single-player RPGs like Dragon Quest and Fallout: New Vegas.

The Pokémon esports scene intrigues Lukus due to its emphasis on strategy, as opposed to standard FPS or MOBA tournaments that reward quick reflexes. He is a fan of competitive Pokémon player Wolfe Glick, who also creates informative and entertaining videos on YouTube.

Beyond gaming, Lukus enjoys anime and trading card games.

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Edited by Abu Amjad Khan