Water-type moves sit at the core of efficient raid battles in Pokémon GO, serving as the primary counter against Fire, Ground, and Rock-type raid bosses. Knowing which Fast and Charged moves to prioritize changes your raid output from a sluggish loss to a comfortable solo or duo victory.
Understanding Fast and Charged Water Moves
Raid success relies on damage per second, abbreviated as DPS, alongside total damage output. Fast moves build energy quickly while dealing chip damage, whereas Charged moves deliver massive bursts of power. Pairing the right Fast move with an optimal Charged move creates the highest possible DPS for your raid attackers.
The Best Water-Type Fast Moves
Water-type attackers rely on a select few Fast moves that balance energy generation and damage output.
- Waterfall: This move trades quick animation for heavy base damage. It's the premier choice for heavy hitters like Kyogre and Gyarados, allowing you to maximize straight Water-type damage against bosses weak to water.
- Water Gun: Offering much faster execution, Water Gun sacrifices raw damage per hit for superior energy gains. Pokémon like Swampert and Feraligatr benefit heavily from this move, letting them fire off Charged attacks at a rapid pace.
- Water Shuriken: Exclusive to specific Pokémon like Greninja, this Fast move generates energy at an elite rate, fueling powerful Charged attacks before the boss can retaliate.
- Bubble: A solid alternative found on traditional heavy-hitters like Kingler, striking a clean balance between energy gains and impact.
Elite Water-Type Charged Moves
Charged moves dictate how fast you melt a raid boss's health bar. Standard moves perform well, but exclusive or legacy options push your counters to the absolute top of the meta.
- Origin Pulse: Tied exclusively to Primal Kyogre and regular Kyogre, this move sits at the very top of the damage charts. If you have an Elite Charged TM, spending it here on a high-IV Kyogre is never a mistake.
- Hydro Cannon: Available to fully evolved starter Pokémon during special events or via Elite TMs, Hydro Cannon is widely considered one of the best moves in the entire game. Its low energy cost and immense damage output make Pokémon like Mega Swampert and Mega Greninja terrifying raid options.
- Surf: A reliable, high-speed Charged move that deals heavy damage without locking you into a long animation window.
- Hydro Pump: A classic heavy-hitting move found on Gyarados and various legendaries. While it takes longer to execute than Hydro Cannon, it still packs an enormous punch.
Top Water-Type Raid Attackers and Their Optimal Movesets
Assembling a raid party means matching the right Pokémon with its absolute best move combination. Here are the top-performing Water-type options currently dominating raid lobbies.
Primal Kyogre
Primal Kyogre reigns supreme as the undisputed king of Water-type attackers in Pokémon GO. Its immense base attack stat combined with the weather boost it provides to other players makes it a staple.
- Fast Move: Waterfall
- Charged Move: Origin Pulse
Mega Swampert
Thanks to its secondary Ground typing, Mega Swampert resists electric attacks that normally threaten water types, while dishing out punishing speed damage.
- Fast Move: Water Gun
- Charged Move: Hydro Cannon
Mega Greninja
Mega Greninja brings blistering speed to the raid arena. While its defensive stats are lower than Primal Kyogre's, its sheer DPS output tears through raid bosses rapidly.
- Fast Move: Water Shuriken
- Charged Move: Hydro Cannon or Surf
Shadow Feraligatr and Shadow Swampert
Shadow variants receive a 20% damage bonus at the cost of defense. For raid battles where the clock is your main enemy, Shadow Water-types outclass many non-shadow legendary options.
- Optimal Setup: Water Gun paired with Hydro Cannon.
Advanced Raid Strategies and Optimization Tips
Simply having the right Pokémon with correct moves isn't always enough to beat elite five-star or tier-six raid bosses. Strategic preparation ensures victory.
Leverage Weather Boosts
Rainy weather boosts Water-type attacks in Pokémon GO by 20%. If you are attempting a difficult duo or trio raid against a boss like Primal Groudon or Heatran, coordinate your raids during rainy weather to push your Water-type moves past the threshold needed for victory.
Mega Evolution Synergy
Always coordinate with your raid group to ensure someone activates a Mega Evolution—such as Primal Kyogre or Mega Swampert—on the field. This grants a passive 30% damage boost to all Water-type moves used by other participating trainers, turning a tight raid timer into an easy win.
Breakpoint Optimization
Powering up your raid counters past level 40 yields diminishing returns, but hitting specific damage breakpoints for your Fast moves against common raid bosses ensures every single hit deals maximum possible rounded damage. Check local community tools or the Pokémon GO Hub to verify if your primary attackers need a few extra Candies and Stardust.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Many trainers sink valuable resources into sub-optimal setups. Avoiding these common errors saves rare candy and TMs.
- Ignoring Legacy Move Requirements: Trying to use a starter Pokémon without its community day move drastically lowers its raid output. Always check if a Pokémon requires an Elite Charged TM to learn moves like Hydro Cannon.
- Overvaluing CP Over Movesets: A high-CP Pokémon with a mismatched moveset will always perform worse than a slightly lower-level Pokémon running optimal Water-type moves.
- Neglecting Defensive Type Matchups: While Water resists Fire, Water, Steel, and Ice, it is weak to Electric and Grass. Don't bring your water attackers blindly into raid bosses carrying unexpected coverage moves like Solar Beam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Elite TMs to get the best Water-type moves?
Yes, for legacy moves like Hydro Cannon on starters and Origin Pulse on Kyogre, you will generally need to use an Elite Charged TM unless you evolve or catch them during specific special events.
Is Primal Kyogre better than Shadow Swampert in raids?
In terms of pure DPS and TDO combined, Primal Kyogre outperforms Shadow Swampert. However, building a team of Shadow Swampets is much cheaper in terms of rare candy and stardust.
Why is Water Gun sometimes preferred over Waterfall?
Water Gun generates energy much faster than Waterfall. This lets your Pokémon fire off high-damage Charged moves more frequently, which often results in higher overall DPS depending on the specific raid boss.
Can I solo four-star or five-star raids with Water types?
Soloing higher-tier raids depends heavily on the boss's double weaknesses or single weaknesses, local weather boosts, maxed-out shadow counters, and optimal friendship bonuses in the lobby.
