Solgaleo, the Sunne Pokémon, has made a shining entry into Pokémon GO, capturing the attention of Trainers around the world. As a Legendary Pokémon from the Alola region, Solgaleo Pokémon GO raids are both a powerful challenge and a prized opportunity for any Trainer looking to strengthen their team with a Psychic/Steel-type powerhouse.
Whether you’re new to raids or a seasoned veteran, understanding Solgaleo’s typing, weaknesses, counters, and raid mechanics will help you make the most of this rare appearance. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know — including the best counters, moveset tips, and raid strategies — so you can defeat and catch Solgaleo with confidence.
Solgaleo Overview
Solgaleo is a Legendary dual-type Psychic and Steel Pokémon, which gives it a unique set of strengths and vulnerabilities. It is the evolved form of Cosmoem (via daytime evolution) and is the counterpart of Lunala, its Moon Pokémon counterpart.
Solgaleo Pokémon GO Stats:
- Max CP: ~4,200 (at Level 50)
- Attack: 255
- Defense: 191
- Stamina: 264
- Type: Psychic / Steel
This combination makes Solgaleo resistant to Normal, Flying, Rock, Steel, Grass, Ice, Dragon, Fairy, and especially Poison and Psychic, while making it weak to Ground, Ghost, Fire, and Dark-type moves.
Best Solgaleo Pokémon GO Raid Counters
To effectively defeat Solgaleo in raids, focus on exploiting its four main weaknesses: Fire, Ghost, Ground, and Dark. Because it’s not a Raid Boss with extremely high difficulty like Mega or Primal bosses, around 3–5 high-level Trainers should be sufficient to take it down efficiently. Lower-level Trainers may need a group of 6–8.
Top Counter Pokémon:
Below is a list of the best Pokémon to counter Solgaleo, based on damage output, type effectiveness, and overall raid performance.
🔥 Fire-Type Counters
- Mega Blaziken – Fire Spin / Blast Burn
- Reshiram – Fire Fang / Fusion Flare
- Chandelure – Fire Spin / Overheat
- Mega Charizard Y – Fire Spin / Blast Burn
👻 Ghost-Type Counters
- Giratina (Origin Forme) – Shadow Claw / Shadow Ball
- Gengar (Mega or Normal) – Lick / Shadow Ball
- Chandelure – Hex / Shadow Ball
- Hoopa (Confined) – Astonish / Shadow Ball
🌑 Dark-Type Counters
- Hydreigon – Bite / Brutal Swing
- Darkrai – Snarl / Shadow Ball
- Tyranitar (Shadow) – Bite / Crunch
- Weavile – Snarl / Foul Play
⛰️ Ground-Type Counters
- Garchomp – Mud Shot / Earth Power
- Excadrill – Mud-Slap / Earthquake
- Groudon (Primal or Normal) – Mud Shot / Precipice Blades
- Rhyperior – Mud-Slap / Earthquake
When assembling your team, avoid using Fairy, Poison, or Ice-types, as they’ll do minimal damage due to Solgaleo’s strong resistances.
Recommended Raid Party Setup
For a successful Solgaleo Pokémon GO raid, a balanced raid group with a mix of Ghost and Fire attackers is most efficient. Here are a few team-building tips:
- Use Mega Pokémon: Pokémon like Mega Gengar, Mega Blaziken, or Mega Charizard Y not only deal heavy damage but also boost your allies’ moves of the same type.
- Prioritize Shadow Pokémon: Shadow Hydreigon or Shadow Tyranitar hit incredibly hard and should be at the front of your party.
- Dodging Helps: Solgaleo may use high-damage moves like Fire Fang or Iron Head. If your top counters are fragile, use dodging techniques to survive longer.
Solgaleo Raid Moveset
Solgaleo’s moves can affect your raid strategy, especially in smaller groups. Here’s what it can use in raids:
Fast Moves:
- Zen Headbutt (Psychic)
- Fire Spin (Fire)
Charged Moves:
- Iron Head (Steel)
- Psychic Fangs (Psychic)
- Solar Beam (Grass)
- Flame Charge (Fire)
Of these, Zen Headbutt + Iron Head is the most defensive set, while Fire Spin + Flame Charge can be dangerous to your Bug-, Ice-, and Grass-type counters. If Solgaleo has Solar Beam, your Ground-types like Garchomp or Groudon can take heavy damage, so consider switching to Ghost- or Dark-types in such cases.
Tips for Winning the Solgaleo Pokémon GO Raid
To increase your chances of a smooth and successful raid:
- Check the weather: Windy weather boosts Solgaleo’s Psychic-type moves and your Ghost-type counters. Sunny weather boosts Ground moves, favoring Garchomp or Groudon.
- Use Remote Raids wisely: If you can’t access Solgaleo in person, join remote raids hosted in global communities like Discord or Pokémon GO Facebook groups.
- Dodge Charged Moves: In smaller groups, taking too much damage can lead to wipes and longer battles. Learn Solgaleo’s charge animations and dodge strategically.
- Use Friends and Bonuses: Raiding with Ultra or Best Friends gives a damage boost, and using Pokémon of the same type as the weather-boosted condition will increase your effectiveness.
Is Solgaleo Worth Catching?
Yes — but with a few considerations.
Solgaleo Pokémon GO is not just a beautiful addition to your collection — it has competitive value. While it currently lacks top-tier relevance in Master League PvP or high-end raids due to limited coverage moves, it has:
- High CP potential for Gym Defense
- Niche PvP use in Master League against Charmers
- Great future potential if it gains better moves through Elite TMs or updates
And remember, Solgaleo is not obtainable through standard raids regularly — it requires evolving Cosmoem during the day, so catching one via special raids or timed events is a rare opportunity.
Final Thoughts
Solgaleo is one of the most majestic Legendaries introduced into Pokémon GO. With its striking design, respectable stats, and unique type combo, it deserves a spot in any serious Trainer’s collection. By following the right raid strategy, team composition, and counters, you can easily take down this steel lion and add it to your team.
To recap, here are the key takeaways from this Solgaleo Pokémon GO Raid Guide:
- Use Fire, Ghost, Ground, and Dark-type Pokémon to exploit Solgaleo’s weaknesses.
- Mega Evolutions and Shadows can significantly boost raid performance.
- Pay attention to Solgaleo’s moveset, as it can counter some of your attackers.
- Take advantage of weather bonuses and friend bonuses to maximize your raid rewards.
So get out there, prepare your team, and take down Solgaleo in style!
