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Hundo Hunter
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PU · EVENT · PREPARATION
JULY 11 → 12

Power-up priorities for Global GO Fest 2026

Eight Pokémon worth burning Stardust + Candy XL on BEFORE July 11. Each entry includes what it beats during the event, strong alternatives if you don't have it, and budget picks if Stardust is tight. Use the in-app Power Rating tab to confirm your strongest copy of each.

COMPANION GUIDE
Looking for the full raid roster?
Six themed hour-blocks, ~60 raid bosses, region locks — all on the main event guide.
See raid roster →
THE EIGHT PRIORITIES
What to power up — ranked by ROI
Mega Rayquaza wins on critical-matchup importance. Mega Blaziken wins on raid coverage. Primal Groudon covers the most matchups overall. Pick the ones that fit your existing vault — the in-app Power Rating tab tells you exactly what you already have.
RA
PRIORITY 1
Mega Rayquaza
The #1 Mega Mewtwo X counter and the Super-Mega shield breaker.
WHY POWER UP
It's the strongest Flying attacker in the game and Mega Mewtwo X is part Fighting — so Mega Rayquaza is the #1 counter. It also breaks shields in Super Mega Raids (a charged attack from any Mega evolved Pokémon breaks one shield per trainer). Mega Rayquaza pulls double duty: top counter AND best shield-breaker.
WHAT IT BEATS AT GO FEST
STRONG ALTERNATIVES
Rayquaza · Mega Salamence · Shadow Moltres
BUDGET OPTIONS
Salamence · Toucannon (Beak Blast) · Staraptor (Gust)
BL
PRIORITY 2
Mega Blaziken
Best dual-type Mega for GO Fest — Fire + Fighting against half the raid list.
WHY POWER UP
Mega Blaziken is the #2 Fire attacker and the #3 Fighting attacker. Both types are heavily represented in the Saturday/Sunday raid pool. The Stardust-per-matchup ratio on Mega Blaziken is the best in the event — one investment covers many raids.
WHAT IT BEATS AT GO FEST
STRONG ALTERNATIVES
Mega Charizard Y · Blacephalon · Shadow Heatran · Mega Lucario · Mega Mewtwo X · Keldeo (Resolute Form)
BUDGET OPTIONS
Chandelure · Cinderace · Blaziken · Darmanitan · Lucario · Keldeo · Machamp
NE
PRIORITY 3
Dawn Wings Necrozma
#1 counter for Mega Mewtwo Y and the only non-Mega priority pick.
WHY POWER UP
Not a Mega, so it doesn't compete for your Mega slot AND you can use multiples in the same raid. #1 counter for Mega Mewtwo Y (Sunday), #2 for Mega Mewtwo X (after Mega Rayquaza). Also handles Mega Gengar — the second best Ghost and best Poison attacker.
WHAT IT BEATS AT GO FEST
  • · Mega Mewtwo Y (Sunday Super Mega Raid)
  • · Mega Mewtwo X (Saturday — backup to Mega Rayquaza)
  • · Mega Gengar
  • · Necrozma
  • · Lunala
STRONG ALTERNATIVES
Mega Gengar · Mega Mewtwo X · Mega Mewtwo Y · Shadow Darkrai · Shadow Chandelure
BUDGET OPTIONS
Chandelure · Gengar
ZA
PRIORITY 4
Crowned Sword Zacian
Arguably the best Pokémon in the game right now — invest regardless of GO Fest.
WHY POWER UP
#1 Steel attacker, #2 Fairy, #1 Master League Pokémon, best Steel for Max Battles. Stardust ROI is enormous beyond GO Fest. During the event it's a strong non-Mega counter for Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Gardevoir, and Xerneas — all without burning Mega Energy.
WHAT IT BEATS AT GO FEST
BUDGET OPTIONS
Metagross · Tinkaton · Lucario · Melmetal (Double Iron Bash) · Excadrill · Gardevoir · Togekiss · Hatterene · Primarina
KY
PRIORITY 5
White Kyurem
#1 Ice attacker — the dragon-and-flying hammer for a raid pool full of them.
WHY POWER UP
Best Ice attacker in the game and will stay that way. GO Fest is dragon- and flying-heavy: Rayquaza, Mega Garchomp, Mega Salamence, Yveltal all take 4× damage from Ice or are weak to it. White Kyurem also gets a Mega in the future (will be #2 Ice attacker overall), so the investment compounds.
WHAT IT BEATS AT GO FEST
STRONG ALTERNATIVES
Black Kyurem · Mega Mewtwo X (Ice Beam) · Mega Mewtwo Y (Ice Beam) · Shadow Mamoswine · Shadow Mewtwo (Ice Beam) · Mega Gardevoir (Triple Axel)
BUDGET OPTIONS
Baxcalibur (Frigibax Community Day grind) · Galarian Darmanitan · Mamoswine
TY
PRIORITY 6
Mega Tyranitar
#1 Dark attacker, and the best Mega Rock option without Mega Diancie.
WHY POWER UP
Mega Diancie's mythical candy is rare and slow to grind; Larvitar candy has piled up over years of Community Days. Mega Tyranitar is the best Rock Mega most trainers will realistically have. Top counter for Mega Mewtwo Y, plus solid Rock coverage for Lugia, Ho-Oh, and other Flying/Fire legendaries.
WHAT IT BEATS AT GO FEST
BUDGET OPTIONS
Tyranitar · Absol · Hydreigon (Brutal Swing — Dino CD) · Gliscor · Rampardos · Rhyperior · Gigalith
KY
PRIORITY 7
Primal Kyogre
#1 Water attacker by a comfortable margin — and the Stardust ROI is huge.
WHY POWER UP
Best Water attacker in the game by quite a lot. The GO Fest raid roster has many Pokémon weak to Water — including Mega Blaziken, Groudon (and Primal Groudon!), Ho-Oh, Terrakion, Blacephalon, and both Landorus forms. One Primal Kyogre covers more raids than almost any other single investment.
WHAT IT BEATS AT GO FEST
BUDGET OPTIONS
Quaquaval · Primarina · Greninja · Kingler
GR
PRIORITY 8
Primal Groudon
Most versatile Pokémon in this guide — strong against the largest range of bosses.
WHY POWER UP
#1 Ground attacker and the only type that's super-effective against Electric. GO Fest has at least three top-tier Electric raids (Zekrom, Xurkitree, Regieleki). Primal Groudon also smokes Fire types, Mega Gengar, both Dialga forms, Solgaleo, Terrakion, Nihilego and more — the longest 'super-effective against' list in this guide.
WHAT IT BEATS AT GO FEST
BUDGET OPTIONS
Garchomp · Excadrill · Rhyperior
RELATED ON HUNDO HUNTER
Tools that help you execute
ACTIVE
Current raid bosses →
What's in raids right now, with counter recommendations.
RANKINGS
Attacker tier list →
S/A/B/C/D/F rankings per type. Find your best already-powered options.
MATCHUPS
Counter charts →
Per-type counter analysis. Slot the Pokémon above against any boss.
CALC
Stardust calculator →
Cost to L40 / L50 with Lucky + Best Buddy discounts factored in.
MAX
Max Battles guide →
Crowned Sword Zacian doubles as the best Steel tank for Max Battles.
IV SCAN
Functional hundos →
14/15/15 + similar IV spreads that hit identical CP + stat product as a true 100%. Don't transfer your power-up candidates.
FAQ
Common questions
When should I start powering up for GO Fest 2026?
Start NOW — Global GO Fest is July 11-12, 2026. Mega Energy, Candy XL, and Stardust caps mean you cannot rush 4-5 Pokémon to Level 50 in the final week. The earliest investments compound: the more Mega energy you bank pre-event, the more rotations you can sustain during it.
Mega Rayquaza or Mega Blaziken — which first?
Mega Rayquaza if you have the energy. It covers Mega Mewtwo X (the Saturday Super Mega Raid headliner) AND breaks shields in Super Mega Raids. Mega Blaziken is broader but no single matchup is as critical as Mega Rayquaza vs. Mega Mewtwo X. Power up both eventually — Mega Blaziken second.
Is Dawn Wings Necrozma worth the Stardust investment for just one event?
Yes — Dawn Wings Necrozma is the #1 Mega Mewtwo Y counter and the #2 Mega Mewtwo X counter, and it doesn't compete for your Mega slot. You can field two or three Dawn Wings in the same raid. Beyond GO Fest it remains a top Psychic/Ghost mixed attacker. The investment is durable.
I have neither White nor Black Kyurem. What do I do?
Power up Baxcalibur. Frigibax Community Day is on June 20, 2026 — every trainer will have access. Three powered-up Baxcalibur clear most Ice matchups during GO Fest while you bank Frigibax candy for the future Mega Baxcalibur (which will be the #2 Ice attacker overall). Mamoswine is the cheap-Stardust fallback.
What about Shadow Pokémon versions?
Shadow forms hit harder per move but take more damage and die faster — which often costs you 2-3 charged moves of damage per faint and turns a 4-faint clear into a 6-faint clear. For Super Mega Raids where breaking shields matters, a non-Shadow Mega is more reliable. Save Shadows for short-fuse matchups against open bosses (no shields) where you can land the burst before getting KO'd.
How many of each priority Pokémon do I need?
Six per attacker bucket is the safe number for a Super Mega Raid: you go through 4 faints minimum on most matchups, with 2 spares for shield-break swaps. For non-Super raids, three is enough. You only need ONE Mega Rayquaza, Mega Blaziken, etc. (each Mega only powers up once and copies for raids), but you do need multiple Dawn Wings Necrozma, White Kyurem, and Crowned Sword Zacian (non-Megas you field multiple of).