Nihilego in Pokémon Go: Raid Battle dates, weaknesses and best counters

So far, the festival has toured the world in Sendai, Madrid and New York but it will conclude this coming weekend with a Global event, which means players can get involved from anywhere they like.

If you are planning on joining in then you will likely need as much information as possible to make your time in the game as smooth as can be. We’ve got a breakdown on when exactly Nihilego will be back, as well as details on its weaknesses and if you’re lucky enough, the moveset you’ll acquire once it is captured.

When is Nihilego in Pokémon Go Raid Battles? Dates confirmed

Nihilego will be in Pokémon Go on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July 2024 in conjunction with the Pokémon Go Fest 2024: Global event.

The Pokémon previously landed in the game back at the end of May during the Go Fest event in Sendai, before appearing in Raid battles during the Madrid and New York events over the following weeks.

But with Pokémon Go Fest 2024 drawing to a close this coming weekend, players will still have a chance to take on the creature from anywhere in the world as the Global event can be accessed by everyone.

To take part, you will need to buy a ticket which costs £14.99 for those of us in the UK.

What are Nihilego’s weaknesses in Pokémon Go?

Nihilego is a Rock and Poison-type Pokémon, which means it is weak against Ground, Psychic, Water and Steel-type attacks.

Ground-type attacks will be doubly strong against Nihilego, as it is super effective against both Rock and Poison.

It’s best, then, to pick a powerful Ground-type Pokémon to battle Nihilego. Water, Psychic and Steel-type attacks will also do well, but won’t be as effective as Ground.

Team up with others all carrying a strong Ground-type Pokémon (or three) and you’ll have Nihilego defeated with relative ease – it still carries a massive CP, so it will take a lot of hits and dish out many itself.

Best Nihilego counters in Pokémon Go

Considering Ground-type attacks are best against Nihilego, due to it being Rock and Poison-type, you need to use a powerful Ground-type Pokémon to counter it best.

If you have one, Groudon will prove especially strong.

You should be able to get hold of a Groudon by defeating Giovanni (unless his line-up has changed by the time you’re reading this, sorry!).

Beyond Groudon, Excadrill is a brilliant choice, as is Garchomp, Swampert (that dual-type with Water-type is great) and Rhyperior.

Essentially, go for the strongest Ground-type Pokémon you have which knows powerful Ground-type attacks and you should do fine. Ground is the best counter against Nihilego by a long shot.

Best moveset for Nihilego in Pokémon Go

Nihilego has a moveset that combines both Poison and Rock type moves, which means there is a good variation in damage that can be done to enemies.

Below, we have listed out some of the best attacks it will have, ordered by the amount of damage it does per second once you have caught the creature.

• Gunk Shot (Poison) - 50.3
• Sludge Bomb (Poison) - 41.7
• Rock Slide (Rock) - 35.6
• Power Gem (Rock) - 33.1
• Poison Jab (Poison) - 15
• Acid (Poison) - 13.5
• Pound (Normal) - 11.7

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