Pokemon GO Nihilego raid guide (June 2023): Best counters, weaknesses, and more

In the most recent content rotation for Pokemon GO, the Ultra Beast Nihilego was confirmed to be returning as a 5-star Raid Boss. Since Ultra Beasts are some of the rarest and most unique creatures in the entirety of the franchise, many players will definitely try their luck to add this powerful beast to their collection.

Ultra Beasts are essentially Legendary Pokemon from a different universe. This means that these creatures possess stat spreads identical to those of standard Legendary Pokemon, and they will pose a serious challenge for unprepared raiders.

With so many trainers taking their chance to add this Ultra Beast to their collection, there are bound to be some less-experienced players who want to compete in these Raid Battles as well. As new raiders will surely learn, these high-level raids can be quite challenging if they aren't adequately prepared.

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How to counter Nihilego in Pokemon GO

A Shiny Nihilego as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The first thing you need to know about any Raid Boss in Pokemon GO before challenging it in a battle is its elemental typing. Nihilego possesses the rare Rock and Poison type combination, which leaves it vulnerable to Ground, Steel, Psychic, and Water-type attacks.

Looking at Nihilego's stat spread, this boss possesses some amazing offensive qualities, as well as being incredibly bulky. With each stat being well over 200, it is difficult to find any weakness in any specific form of Fast or Charged Attack. In situations such as these, sticking to moves of an advantageous type yields the best results.

Since both of Nihilego's typings share a weakness to Ground-type attacks, you should prioritize creatures that can fire off high-damaging Ground moves. Some of the best candidates that fit the bill are Primal Groudon, Excadrill, and Garchomp. However, the average Pokemon GO player may not have access to these creatures.

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Is Nihilego any good in Pokemon GO?

Those who put in the effort to capture a Nihilego in Pokemon GO will likely be eager to make use of the new addition in the game's competitive Battle League. However, due to the changes in the battle system introduced in the mobile spin-off, this topic isn't as cut and dry as before.

In PvE content, Nihilego is a decent attacker. Thanks to its unique type combination and great stat spread, it is not a terrible choice for players that have it. However, there are much better Rock and Poison-type Pokemon that can do what Nihilego does but better. As such, the only reason why you would pick Nihilego over Golem or Venusaur is either personal preference or due to the niche coverage its typing provides.

In PvP, Nihilego is only used as a way to make quick work of Fairy-type Pokemon. However, creatures of the element are somewhat infrequent in the Ultra League compared to the Master League, making Nihilego much more viable in Pokemon GO's Master League.