CD · RETROSPECTIVE · MAY 16, 2026
MAY 16
Deino Community Day — the one that aged well
A month after the event, Hydreigon with Brutal Swing has settled in as the #3 Dark attacker and a budget Dragon. Listed as a counter in the live Candela event and the GO Fest 2026 prep guide. Here's why it's still worth evolving more — and why an Elite Charged TM might be worth the cost if you missed the CD entirely.
EVOLUTION LINE
Deino · Zweilous · Hydreigon
Dark / Dragon · Hydreigon w/ Brutal Swing locked in via CD evolution
WHERE HYDREIGON RANKS NOW
#3 Dark Attacker
Only Mega Tyranitar and Shadow Tyranitar rank higher among Dark attackers. Brutal Swing is what made the jump — it's the highest-DPS Dark charged move available to a non-Mega, non-Shadow non-legendary.
Budget Dragon Attacker
Outside Brutal Swing setups, Hydreigon with Dragon Pulse is also a strong budget Dragon attacker for trainers who don't have Mega Garchomp / Mega Rayquaza / Black Kyurem. Useful coverage for the Dragon-heavy GO Fest 2026 raid roster.
Specialty Cup PvP
Doesn't hit GL/UL CP limits cleanly without Best Buddy, but Master League and Premier Cup variants find niches. Brutal Swing has a self-Atk-drop secondary effect that swings 1v1 matchups when timed against shields.
LIVE NOW · CANDELA EVENT COUNTERS
Mega Audino (Mega slot in Candela event)
Audino is Normal/Fairy. Hydreigon's Dark typing hits the Fairy half neutrally but Brutal Swing's raw damage makes it competitive with Mega Tyranitar as a budget alternative. Listed in /candela-event/priorities as a budget counter.
Shadow Dialga (5★ Shadow raid full event)
Hydreigon doesn't lead the counter list (Mega Lucario + Mega Mewtwo X do) but appears in the budget counter slot — viable if your Fighting roster is shallow. Faster TTK than Lucario in the open window, slower in the enrage window.
Necrozma (raidable for fusion candy)
Necrozma is Psychic. Dark-type Brutal Swing is super-effective. Hydreigon does NOT outpace Dawn Wings Necrozma (which is #1 counter for Mega Mewtwo Y), but it does outpace most budget Dark counters.
3 WEEKS AWAY · GO FEST 2026 COUNTERS
Mega Mewtwo Y (Sunday Super Mega Raid)
Hydreigon w/ Brutal Swing is a top-10 non-Mega counter for Mega Mewtwo Y. Stacks Dark damage when Dawn Wings Necrozma rolls aren't enough. See /global-go-fest-2026/power-up for the full priority list.
Origin Palkia / Altered Palkia
Hydreigon w/ Dragon Pulse is a budget Dragon attacker against Palkia. Not top-tier — Mega Rayquaza, Black Kyurem, Origin Dialga all hit harder — but accessible if you missed the legendary fusions.
Mega Gengar (rotation Mega)
Mega Gengar is Ghost/Poison. Hydreigon's Dark moves wreck the Ghost half. Listed alongside Shadow Tyranitar as the budget Dark counter in the rotation cards.
WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR DEINO PILE
Evolve NOW
IV 91-100% Deino with strong stats — these become your raid attackers. Get Brutal Swing locked in before the 5-hour evolution grace window closes.
Evolve for PvP
Master League / Premier Cup IV spreads (Atk-leaning). Don't need a perfect 15/15/15 — a 14/13/14 with the right product number wins.
Hold for trades
Lucky-eligible trade partners. Friendship Friday with lucky trades = post-trade Hydreigon at Lvl 25 with 12+ IV minimums. Cheaper Stardust to L40.
Keep for shiny collection
Boosted shiny rate during CD (~1-in-25). Now a permanent dex entry — the shiny form will appear in 10-km eggs and research breakthroughs going forward but at the standard 1-in-512 rate. Hold the shinies you got.
RELATED
LIVE NOW
Candela event priorities →
Where Hydreigon shows up as budget Dark counter.
NEXT CD
Frigibax CD · June 20 →
The next pseudo-legendary CD. Plan the long-term roster.
GO FEST
GO Fest 2026 power-up →
Hydreigon's role in the Mega Mewtwo Y matchup.
ARCHIVE
All Community Days →
Every CD since 2018 with retrospective tier ratings.
RANKINGS
Attacker tier list →
See where Hydreigon sits against your other attackers.
DEX
Hydreigon dex entry →
Stats, max CP per level, base moveset comparison.
FAQ
When was the Deino Community Day?
Saturday May 16, 2026, 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time. The exclusive move was Brutal Swing — a Dark charged attack that turned out to be one of the best Community Day moves of 2026. The event included triple Stardust, 2× catch Candy, and a $1.99 Special Research ticket. If you missed it, the Elite Charged TM market is the only way to teach Hydreigon Brutal Swing now.
Is Hydreigon with Brutal Swing still meta?
Yes — strongly. Brutal Swing pushed Hydreigon to #3 Dark attacker (behind only Mega Tyranitar and Shadow Tyranitar). It's listed as a budget counter in the live Candela event (Mega Audino raids, Shadow Dialga) AND in the GO Fest 2026 power-up guide for Mega Mewtwo Y raids. Best non-Mega, non-Shadow Dark option in the game.
What if I missed the CD — can I still get Brutal Swing?
Yes, but only via Elite Charged TM, which costs ~20 fragments per spin from research breakthroughs. The TM applies in any move slot — so you can teach Brutal Swing to an existing Hydreigon you already have. Buying an Elite TM for a single Hydreigon is worth it given the meta jump.
How many Hydreigon should I evolve?
Six for a raid party, three if you only raid casually, twelve if you intend to dual-Mega. Two PvP variants (Master League + Premier Cup) and at least one for shiny collection. Total target: 6-15 evolutions, all with Brutal Swing locked in.
Is shadow Hydreigon better than regular?
Yes, when it exists. Shadow Hydreigon would jump to top-3 Dark attacker overall (potentially #2 after Mega Tyranitar). Shadow Deino isn't currently available — but if it ever drops as a Shadow Raid or Rocket grunt encounter, prioritize it. Bank Deino candy now so a future shadow conversion is cheap.
Does the Deino CD tie into Candela or GO Fest 2026?
Both. Live Candela event (June 9-15): Hydreigon is a budget Dark counter for Mega Audino raids and Shadow Dialga raids. GO Fest 2026 (July 11-12): Hydreigon is a top-10 non-Mega counter for Mega Mewtwo Y on Sunday, and a budget Dragon vs Palkia. Get-it-done CDs like Deino age extremely well.