How to beat Pokémon Go’s next Legendary Raid: Virizion

Verizion will be leaving Legendary Raids in Pokémon Go on January 7, 2020. Here's everything you need to know to take it on!

Starting December 17, 2019, Pokémon Go introduced a new Legendary Raid Boss. The third of the Swords of Justice, Verizion is a Grass and Fighting-type Pokémon, and you have just one week left to catch it! While it is weak to seven different types, there are definitely some real contenders in this fight and other Pokémon who just won't make the cut. We're here to walk you through building the perfect team for taking on this Legendary Pokémon!

Who is Verizion, and what are the Swords of Justice?

Like most Legendary Pokémon, Verizion is one of a set. This particular set is known as the Swords of Justice, and they are loosely based on The Three Musketeers. Cobalion represents Athos, the oldest and de facto leader of the group, Terrakion represents Porthos, the strongest member of the group, Virizion represents Aramis, the feminine and romantic member of the group, and Keldeo represents d'Artagnan, the young new addition to the group.

While these four form a quartet in both the core games and their own Pokémon movie, the announcement only referenced the three original members, suggesting that Keldeo will be introduced later on and perhaps even in a different way. Given that Keldeo is a Mythical Pokémon, not a Legendary like the other Swords of Justice, it would be in line with how other Mythical Pokémon have been handled in Pokémon Go.

For the time being, Verizion is not all that impressive. Despite being a Legendary Pokémon, its stats aren't particularly outstanding. It has decent defense, but as Legendary Pokémon cannot be put in Gyms, that isn't particulary useful in Pokémon Go. It is possible that future moveset changes or stat rebalances could make Virizion more useful, but it is an easy addition to your Pokédex, so don't miss out on your chance to catch one!

What are the best counters?

While Virizion is weak against Psychic, Fairy, Poison, Fire, and Ice-type moves, your best bet is to focus on Flying types. It is twice as weak against Flying-type moves as the other types, and its only strong counter move to Flying types is Stone Edge. Fortunately, there are plenty of Pokémon to choose from for this battle, and many of them are fairly common. You likely won't have trouble building a team if you add in any of these.

Moltres

Your best option for countering Virizion, Moltres won't flinch in the face of the Grassland Pokémon. The only thing you'll have to worry even a little about is if Virizion has Stone Edge, and the weather is Partly Cloudy. Even still, with Wing Attack and the Legacy Move Sky Attack, Moltres will wipe the floor with Virizion. Given how plentiful opportunities to catch Moltres have been, many players will be able to take a whole team of just Moltres in to fight this Raid.

Rayquaza

With Air Slash and Aerial Ace, Rayquaza puts the hurt on Virizion. It prefers Dragon-type moves in general, but this moveset still does more than enough damage. Opportunities to catch Raquaza haven't been as plentiful as the others on this list, but if you have a strong one with its Flying-type moveset, it will serve you well in this Raid.

Honchkrow

Having a secondary Dark-type, Honchkrow isn't as durable as some of the other Pokémon on this counters list, but it can definitely pack a punch with Peck and Sky Attack. You need to watch out for a Virizion with Close Combat, though, as that will definitely take out Honchkrow quickly. Murkrow are plentiful enough, but the only thing making Honchkrow less common is the scarcity of the Sinnoh Stones necessary to evolve it.

Unfezant

A relative newcomer to the game, Unfezant with Air Slash and Sky Attack can also do a lot of damage to Virizion. And since Pidoves are so common, you probably have one or two of these already. Just watch out for a Virizion with Close Combat as Unfezant's Normal-type makes it especially weak to this move.

Mewtwo

As with so many other Raids, Mewtwo continues to be one of the most useful Pokémon in the game. It is the only non-Flying type to make this list. Confusion and the Legacy move Psystrike are your best bet here, but even the Charged Move Psychic will make your Mewtwo an excellent counter for Virizion.

Lugia

Combining the Psychic-type move Extrasensory with the Flying-type move Sky Attack makes Lugia an extremely powerful counter for Virizion. It is also quite bulky, so it'll likely last you a long time in battle. As we've had several opportunities to face Lugia in Raids, you probably have at least one or two ready for this fight.

Togekiss

Another Pokémon reliant on a Sinnoh Stone to evolve, Togekiss is the final evolution of Togepi. There aren't many opportunities to catch Togepi or its evolution Togetic, but it does hatch from Eggs, so you've likely hatched a few if you're a mildly active player. With Air Slash and Aerial Ace, Togekiss both take advantage of Virizion's double weakness to Flying types while resisting Close Combat.

Back ups

If you don't have a solid team of the best counters, there are still plenty of back ups to choose from. This won't be a super difficult Raid so don't worry if you have to use a few of the following:

• Charizard with Fire Spin and the Legacy Move Blast Burn
• Staraptor with Wing Attack and Brave Bird
• Chandelure with Fire Spin and Overheat
• Alakazam with Confusion and the Legacy Move Psychic
• Rosearade with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
• Exeggutor with the Legacy Move Confusion and Psychic
• Latios with Zen Headbutt and Psychic
• Espeon with Confusion and Psychic

How many players does it take to beat Virizion?

While Virizion is not particularly useful in-game, that does mean that it is easy to take down. Two strong players with top Flying-type attackers can handle this Raid alone. If you have a team of 5 decent players, you should be able to take it down easily. It is boosted by Sunny and Cloudy weather, but so are many of its counters. The only weather you really need to watch out for is Partly Cloudy, and only if it happens to have the Charged Move Stone Edge.

Questions about taking on Virizion?

If you have any questions about this Legendary Raid or tips for other players, drop us a comment below, and be sure to check out our other Pokémon Go guides. Best of luck Raiding, Trainers!