Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles) takes over five-star raids on September 16, and it does not share Zacian’s weaknesses. Zacian (Hero of Many Battles) is a pure Fairy-type raid boss, weak to Poison and Steel [1][4] — so whatever Steel- and Poison-heavy lineup cleared it all last week does nothing special against Zamazenta. Zamazenta is pure Fighting, weak to Flying, Psychic and Fairy instead [3][4]. The strongest counters are Mega Rayquaza and Mega Mewtwo Y or X; without a Mega ready, non-Mega Rayquaza, Shadow Toucannon and Shadow Salamence clear it without one [3]. It runs Wednesday, September 16 at 6:00 AM local through Tuesday, September 22 at 10:00 PM local, with a Raid Hour on the 16th from 6-7 PM local packing extra five-star raids into gyms for that hour [1][2].
Why Your Zacian Team Does Nothing Here
The type swap is the whole story. Fairy-type Zacian takes bonus damage from Poison and Steel moves, which is why Zacian counter teams leaned on Steel attackers like Metagross and Poison-types like Roserade or Nihilego [1][4]. None of that carries over. Zamazenta’s pure Fighting typing takes +60% damage from Flying, Psychic and Fairy attacks instead [4] — the exact three types that would have been dead weight against Zacian last week. Bring a Steel-type into a Zamazenta raid and you’re not just wasting a slot; Steel is itself double-weak to Fighting, so a Pokemon like Metagross takes heavy damage back while barely dishing out anything Zamazenta resists. Zamazenta is a 5-star raid with 15,000 HP and a catchable CP range of 2,100-2,188 with no weather boost, or 2,625-2,735 under Cloudy skies — Cloudy weather boosts Fighting-type Pokemon, so it raises Zamazenta’s own strength as a raid boss. Windy weather does the opposite job for you: it boosts your Flying and Psychic attackers’ damage output, so a Windy forecast during the raid window is worth timing around if you have the choice [4].
Best Counters: Mega Rayquaza and Mega Mewtwo Lead the Pack
If you’ve got the Mega Energy, this is a short list. Mega Rayquaza (Air Slash/Dragon Ascent) and Mega Mewtwo in either Y or X form (Confusion/Psystrike) top the ranked counters, all three within a few percentage points of each other on damage output [3]. Shadow Mewtwo (Psycho Cut/Psystrike) and Mega Alakazam (Confusion/Psychic) sit just below them as strong alternatives if your Mega Rayquaza or Mega Mewtwo isn’t leveled up yet [3].
| Counter | Type | Best Moveset | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Mewtwo Y | Psychic | Confusion / Psystrike | Meta (needs Mega) |
| Mega Rayquaza | Dragon/Flying | Air Slash / Dragon Ascent | Meta (needs Mega) |
| Mega Mewtwo X | Psychic | Confusion / Psystrike | Meta (needs Mega) |
| Shadow Mewtwo | Psychic | Psycho Cut / Psystrike | Strong alternative |
| Mega Alakazam | Psychic | Confusion / Psychic | Strong alternative |
| Rayquaza (non-Mega) | Dragon/Flying | Air Slash / Dragon Ascent | Budget |
| Shadow Toucannon | Normal/Flying | Peck / Beak Blast | Budget |
| Shadow Salamence | Dragon/Flying | Dragon Tail / Fly | Budget |
The one-line takeaway from that table: every real counter is Flying, Psychic or Fairy, and the Mega tier only wins by a small margin over the budget options below it — this isn’t a fight where skipping the Mega locks you out.
No Mega? Three Counters That Still Clear It
You don’t need a Mega Evolution to win this raid, but you do need the right types. A regular, non-Mega Rayquaza running Air Slash and Dragon Ascent is the single highest-ranked counter that requires no Mega Energy, no Shadow Pokemon, and no second Legendary [4]. Pair it with a Shadow Toucannon (Peck/Beak Blast) and a Shadow Salamence (Dragon Tail/Fly) — both cheap to power up if you’ve already run Rocket takeovers for their Shadow forms — and you have a three-Pokemon core that covers the Flying side of Zamazenta’s weakness without touching a single Mega slot [3]. It won’t out-damage a maxed Mega Rayquaza or Mega Mewtwo, but with 4-5 trainers running this budget lineup instead of 2-3 running the meta picks, the raid clears at a similar pace. Pokemon GO Hub’s ranked counters and community group-size data put the minimum at two trainers with strong counters, with 3-5 the realistic number for most groups without a maxed Mega on the team [3][4].
Is It Worth Raiding Over Zacian?
There’s no special shiny bonus running this week — Zamazenta’s shiny odds sit at the same rough 1-in-20 community estimate that applies to any shiny-eligible Legendary raid, since Niantic doesn’t publish an official rate. What’s actually different is the window: Zacian’s rotation was a fixed week, but Zamazenta runs a full week too (through September 22) plus that single Raid Hour on the 16th where five-star raids spawn more often for an hour, giving you more shots at a shiny without spending extra raid passes [1][2]. If you already have a shiny Zacian and limited passes, that Raid Hour is the efficient play; if you’re still missing either one, Zamazenta’s longer overall window makes it the lower-pressure catch of the two. Either way, check your own team before you queue — a lineup built for Fairy-type Zacian is close to useless here, and the reverse is just as true next time a Steel or Poison-weak boss rotates in.
Sources
- Leek Duck. Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles) in 5-Star Raid Battles — September 2026. Leek Duck
- Leek Duck. Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles) Raid Hour. Leek Duck
- Pokemon GO Hub. Zamazenta (Hero) Raid Guide: Best Counters & Shiny. Pokemon GO Hub
- Pokemon GO Hub. Best Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles) Raid Counters. Pokemon GO Hub
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.