Dusk Mane Necrozma is a Psychic- and Steel-type Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Alola region. Necrozma takes this form while devouring the light of Solgaleo to fuel its rampages. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Dusk Mane Necrozma, how to catch the Prism Pokémon after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to utilize it after you’ve caught it.

Which Pokémon to Use in a Dusk Mane Necrozma Raid in Pokémon GO

As a Psychic- and -Steel-type Pokémon, Dusk Mane Necrozma is vulnerable to Fire-, Ground-, Ghost-, and Dark-type attacks. When choosing six Pokémon for your Dusk Mane Necrozma Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that have a Fast Attack and Charged Attack of one of those types if you want to deal as much damage as possible. A Pokémon that shares a type with these attacks will benefit from a same-type attack bonus, which will allow these attacks to deal an additional 20% damage.

If you have multiple Fire-, Ground-, Ghost-, or Dark-type Pokémon, choose Pokémon with the highest CP and best overall stats. Remember that speed of victory affects how many Premier Balls you will receive after a successful Raid Battle, so bring your strongest Pokémon and defeat Dusk Mane Necrozma as quickly as possible.

When you challenge a Raid Boss while you’re in a party, Party Power can give your Charged Attacks a boost. When you have more party members in a raid, your Party Power charges more quickly—when you activate it, your next Charged Attack will deal even more damage! To get the most out of Party Power, it’s a great idea to take on Raid Battles with friends.

It’s also worth noting that when you include a Mega-Evolved Pokémon in your raid lineup, all Pokémon of the same type participating in the raid receive a damage boost while that Mega-Evolved Pokémon is battling the Raid Boss. With their substantial CP, Mega-Evolved Pokémon are already an excellent resource for raids, but this added damage boost for other Trainers’ Pokémon can also be significant in Raid Battles where you’re up against the clock.

Make the Most of Premier Balls and Berries

After a successful Dusk Mane Necrozma raid, it will revert into Necrozma. You’ll have a limited number of Premier Balls you can use to catch it, so make each one count. You can earn extra Premier Balls by battling with friends and defeating Dusk Mane Necrozma more quickly.

In an encounter with Necrozma, your chance of catching it is greatest when the target ring is small enough for you to score Excellent Throws. Throwing Curveballs can improve your chances even more. But work within your abilities—if you don’t think you can reliably make Excellent Curveball Throws, aim for Nice Throws or Great Throws rather than risk missing the target ring completely.

Necrozma isn’t going to make it easy on you by sitting still while you’re trying to catch it. Don’t waste your Premier Balls by throwing while it’s moving around. Watch Necrozma to get a feel for its cycle of movement and the pauses in between this cycle. During one of these pauses, wait for the target ring to reappear, and then throw as it starts to grow smaller to increase your odds of making a Great Throw or an Excellent Throw.

Berries can help you catch Necrozma. A Razz Berry will make Necrozma easier to catch, and a Golden Razz Berry will make it much easier to catch. If you find yourself failing to land any throws, a Nanab Berry will calm Necrozma, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Necrozma Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Necrozma easier to catch and grant you extra Candy when you catch it.

Buddy Pokémon with a Buddy Level of Great Buddy or higher have the Catch Assist Perk. If a Pokémon deflects a Poké Ball, your buddy might bounce it back for a second catch opportunity!

Like all Pokémon, Necrozma is tricky to catch, so don’t be discouraged if it escapes. Get a second wind by stocking up on useful items—like Max Potions, Max Revives, and Golden Razz Berries—and try again.

What to Do with Necrozma Once You’ve Caught It

Once you’ve caught Necrozma, you can fuse it and Solgaleo into Dusk Mane Necrozma, which is expected to be a powerhouse. In raids, Dusk Mane Necrozma is an absolute beast armed with the Steel-type Charged Attack Sunsteel Strike. Powering up a Dusk Mane Necrozma and arming it with its Steel-type Fast Attack and Charged Attack for raids is a great decision. In fact, it’s poised to be the most powerful Steel-type attacker in Pokémon GO. Ice-, Rock-, or Fairy-type Pokémon that appear in raids have especially met their match in Dusk Mane Necrozma.

But Dusk Mane Necrozma’s reign of terror doesn’t end with raids. The Prism Pokémon is a powerful asset in the Master League as well. Armed with a broad range of attacks (especially its devastating Sunsteel Strike), Dusk Mane Necrozma is an undeniable threat to many of the Master League’s dominant Pokémon. Specifically, Dusk Mane Necrozma boasts key wins against Mewtwo, Dragonite, Lugia, Dialga, and Giratina. Of course, it’s also important to account for the Prism Pokémon’s weakness to Fire- Ground-, Ghost-, and Dark-type attacks when building your team, especially considering the popularity of Ho-Oh, Groudon, and Excadrill.

Trainers interested in battling with Dusk Mane Necrozma should participate in as many raids as possible to earn the necessary Candy to power up their Pokémon and teach it a second Charged Attack. Additionally, if you’re planning on using Dusk Mane Necrozma in raids and the Master League, it’s useful to have two available—one armed with Steel-type attacks and another with the best attacks that complement your existing team or strategy. Either way, it will take considerable Candy and Stardust to fully power up your Dusk Mane Necrozma, so get out there and raid early and often.

Good luck with your next Raid Battle, and remember to check back to Pokemon.co.uk/Strategy for more Pokémon GO, video game, and Pokémon TCG tips.