Mega Pinsir Pokémon GO Raid Guide: Weakness and counters

Mega Pinsir is back in Pokémon GO Mega Raids from March 22 until March 31. For a lot of Trainers, this will be the first chance for them to grab Mega Energy for Pinsir. That is because we've not seen Mega Pinsir in Raids for almost two years, having only appeared once all the way back in May 2023.

If you already have enough Mega Energy for Mega Pinsir then these Raids might not be that enticing. While Mega Pinsir is the second best Bug-type Pokémon, only bested by Mega Heracross, Bug-types simply aren't that useful in Pokémon GO.

However, Mega Raids still give you good rewards. They are a great way to gain XP, Rare Candy and Stardust so they are still worth your time if you have the Raid Passes.

Here's everything you need to know to take on Mega Pinsir in Pokémon GO.

Mega Pinsir has a weakness to Electric, Fire, Flying and Ice-type attacks as well as a double weakness to Rock-type attacks. In terms of resistances, it has a resistance to Bug-type attacks and a double resistance to both Fighting and Grass-type attacks.

Here are the best counters to take on Mega Pinsir in Pokémon GO.

With that all important double weakness to Rock-type moves, almost all of the best Mega Pinsir counters are rock-type Pokémon. That throws some less-often used Pokémon into the mix. Pokémon like Rampardos, Tyrantrum and Gigalith are all excellent budget options and most Trainers will have them avaliable.

However, the very best Mega Pinsir counter isn't a Rock-type at all. It is in fact Mega Rayquaza, thanks to Mega Pinsir's Flying-type weakness and the sheer power of Mega Rayquaza. Dragon Ascent is one of the strongest moves in the entirety of Pokémon GO.

Other good options include Terrakion, with Rock Slide as its Charged Attack. However, be careful. Sacred Sword is a unique move and will require an Elite Charged TM to re-learn, so only use Terrakion if you don't have that move or are prepared to give it a second one.

Yes, the Pinsir you encounter after your Mega Pinsir Raid can be shiny in Pokémon GO.

Mega Evolutions can help you get more candy and XL candy with every catch. Having a mega level 3 active that boosts candy for Bug-types will give you an extra 2 candy per catch, as well as a 25% bonus to your XL candy chance.

Here are the Pokémon you can Mega Evolve to get more Pinsir candy:

Mega Pinsir is an easy Raid in Pokémon GO. If you have good counters, you can comfortably duo this Raid.

If you are a lower level Trainer a group of four to five Trainers will make light work of this Mega Raid. Don't forget the faster you beat a Mega Raid, the more Mega Energy you get.

When you encounter a Pinsir after the Raid, here are the 100% IV hundo CP values to look out for:

Weather boost can help you save candy, get better IVs and benefit from power boosts on your team. Here are the weather effects to keep an eye on when taking on these raids.

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