Buzzwole is a Bug and Fighting type, which makes it double-weak to Flying attacks — a 2.56x damage multiplier in Pokémon GO, not the single 1.6x most attackers deal. It’s also single-weak to Fire, Psychic and Fairy. That gap matters because most raid lobbies default to whatever strong Fire or Psychic attacker they already own, and those only hit for the standard 1.6x. Pokebattler’s simulations put Mega Rayquaza, Rayquaza, Shadow Moltres and Shadow or Mega Salamence at the top of the counter list this week, with Toucannon and Staraptor as budget Flying picks almost anyone can build. Buzzwole is in five-star raids through tonight, Tuesday, September 29, 2026 — Americas and Greenland only this rotation, while Pheromosa covers EMEA and India and Xurkitree covers Asia-Pacific. Shiny Buzzwole is live, and a group of 2-5 trainers with solid counters clears it comfortably.
Why Flying Beats Fire and Psychic Here
Buzzwole’s two types are each independently weak to Flying: Bug takes 1.6x damage from Flying moves, and Fighting takes another 1.6x. Pokémon GO doesn’t cap that stacking at a single multiplier — it multiplies the two weaknesses together, so 1.6 × 1.6 lands at 2.56x. Fire and Psychic only match one of Buzzwole’s two types apiece (Fire hits its Bug side, Psychic hits its Fighting side), so both deal the ordinary single 1.6x, exactly like an attacker with no type advantage over a double-weak boss. A lobby full of Fire and Psychic attackers isn’t wrong, exactly — it’s just leaving real damage on the table. This is the same double-weakness math that makes Fighting-type moves hit a Dark/Rock Pokémon at 2.56x; Buzzwole’s Bug/Fighting typing just happens to line up against Flying instead.
Top Buzzwole Counters
The strongest counters right now are Dragon/Flying attackers that get the 2.56x boost from their moveset and a same-type attack bonus on top of it.
| Attacker | Best Moveset | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Mega Rayquaza | Air Slash & Dragon Ascent | Top overall DPS against Buzzwole; STAB plus the 2.56x weakness |
| Rayquaza (non-Mega) | Air Slash & Dragon Ascent | Still exploits the full 2.56x without needing Mega Energy |
| Shadow Moltres | Wing Attack & Sky Attack | Shadow damage bonus stacks with the Flying weakness |
| Mega or Shadow Salamence | Fire Fang & Fly | Fire Fang also hits Buzzwole’s single Fire weakness |
| Toucannon | Peck & Beak Blast | Common, cheap to build, still Flying-typed |
| Staraptor | Gust & Brave Bird | Widely available, strong budget Flying attacker |
In short: if it’s Dragon/Flying or Normal/Flying with a Flying charge move, it outperforms a same-level Fire or Psychic attacker against Buzzwole specifically.
Budget Picks If You Don’t Have a Legendary
You don’t need Mega Energy or a Legendary to make a dent. Toucannon and Staraptor are both regional-free, commonly caught birds that evolve from early-route encounters, and Pokémon GO Hub’s raid guide lists both alongside their Shadow versions as accessible options that still land solid damage. Build Toucannon with Peck and Beak Blast, or Staraptor with Gust and Brave Bird, power either up to your trainer level cap, and slot two or three into a lobby with Legendary attackers filling the rest — you don’t need a full team of budget picks, just enough Flying coverage that the group isn’t leaning on Fire and Psychic alone. Check our best raid attackers list for how these stack up against other current bosses, and our type chart for the full weakness math behind stacked multipliers like this one.
No Flying attacker built up at all? Don’t skip the raid, just add people. Buzzwole’s raid boss CP is high enough that a Fire- and Psychic-heavy lobby still clears it — it just needs the full 2-5 trainer range instead of the low end, and everyone should plan on using the whole raid timer instead of a fast clear. That’s the practical cost of missing the 2.56x: a slower raid, not a failed one.
Last Day: Buzzwole Raids End Tonight
This rotation closes at 10 p.m. local time tonight, September 29, according to Leek Duck’s event tracker. The Raid Hour already ran on September 23, but five-star Buzzwole raids — and the shiny chance — stay live until the rotation ends tonight; after that it rotates out and Pheromosa/Xurkitree stop appearing in their regions too. Catching a wild-spawn-quality Buzzwole later isn’t an option — outside of raids it doesn’t appear in the wild, so tonight’s raid window is the only way to add one to your Pokédex until Niantic runs the rotation again. If you want a strong IV, Pokémon GO Hub lists the perfect-IV catch range at 1,894–1,977 CP at Level 20 with no weather boost, or 2,368–2,472 CP at Level 25 under Rainy or Cloudy weather — check the in-game weather before you raid if IVs matter to you. Our raid strategy guide covers how to fill out a lobby fast if you’re short on Flying attackers. In one raid I joined this week that mixed Psychic and Fire attackers with a single Flying counter, the group needed the full timer to close it out — a lobby with three or more real Flying types usually finishes with time to spare. If you’re catching Buzzwole for a future Mega Evolution or just the shiny, tonight’s your last shot until it cycles back.
Sources
- Leek Duck. Xurkitree, Pheromosa, and Buzzwole in 5-star Raid Battles — September 2026.
- Pokebattler. Buzzwole Raid Counters Simulator.
- Pokémon GO Hub. Buzzwole Raid Guide: Best Counters & Weaknesses.
- Dexerto. Buzzwole Raid Weakness & Counters.
- Pocket Tactics. Pokémon GO Type Chart — Effectiveness, Strengths and Weaknesses.
I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.