Gigantamax Lapras Raid Guide

Basic Information

Moveset Information

Raid Information

Lapras may not have the strongest Attack stat in the game, but it possesses powerful Charged Attacks and wide coverage. Notably, Blizzard, Hydro Pump, and Skull Bash can put some serious dents into teams unless Trainers know how to dance around them. Note that, unlike normal Raids, Trainers can reroll the boss’s attacks every time they restart the Max Battle lobby. Additionally, unlike Raids, Max Particles are only consumed upon victory

At this time, we do not know the approximate difficulty of Gigantamax Lapras. Niantic has been tweaking Gigantamax boss settings every time they have been around. At this time of posting, no two Gigantamax bosses have had the same parameters. However, we can expect this to be a challenging boss, so be prepared to gather as many Trainers as you can find in your community!

Raid Counters

DPS Counters

(Why are charge moves not listed? That’s because they often slow down the charging speed of your Max Meter. The specifics will be covered later in this guide)

These Pokemon serve as your primary damage dealers. They may be fragile, so avoid taking hits with them whenever possible. Taking a few hits is sometimes fine as long as they don’t faint. Prioritize upgrading their Max Attacks.

• Gigantamax Toxtricity possesses the highest potential damage out of all the available options thanks to its high Attack stat. However, it is a fragile Pokemon and it should generally avoid taking damage.

• Gigantamax Venusaur is the most well rounded and flexible counter. It does slightly less damage with its G-Max Vine Lash than Gigantamax Toxtricity’s G-Max Stun Shock, but it makes up by being significantly bulkier and by being resistant to Water. However, Venusaur is weak to Ice, so be prepared to switch out at the first sign of an incoming Blizzard or Ice Beam.

• For trainers who do not have Gigantamax Toxtricity or Venusaur, Rillaboom’s Max Overgrowth is nearly as powerful as G-Max Vine Lash. Rillaboom does have a major downside - it lacks access to a Grass-type Fast Attack with a 0.5 second duration, so it charges the Max Meter more slowly. Another Pokemon with a 0.5 second Fast Attack is recommended to charge the Max Meter more quickly; Rillaboom can then switch in during Dynamax to reap its benefits.

• Machamp is a similarly strong choice that lacks access to a 0.5 second Fast Attack.

Tank Counters

Tank counters are important for stabilizing your team, so use them in conjunction with your DPS counters to build a strong foundation for survival. Their job is to take the vast majority of the incoming damage. Make sure that you unlock Max Guard and Max Spirit on these Pokemon, as they are crucial in shaping the Pokemon’s roles. Prioritize upgrading those moves as well. Generally speaking, a high Defense Pokemon is better suited for Max Guard, while a high HP Pokemon is better suited for Max Spirit.

• Blastoise is one of the best and the most affordable options as a tank. With a good Defense stat and valuable resistances to Water and Ice, Blastoise can sponge Lapras’s deadliest Attacks with ease. Its access to 0.5 second Fast Attacks enables it to charge up the Max Meter quickly. The choice between Gigantamax Blastoise or Dynamax Blastoise is largely irrelevant, as Blastoise should focus on utilizing Max Guard or Max Spirit whenever possible and leave the damaging duties to the DPS counters.

• Metagross offers greater bulk than Blastoise and a resistance to Skull Bash and Dragon Pulse. Its high Attack stat and STAB neutral Max Attacks can occasionally help with denting Lapras during times where it may not have anything better to choose. However, Metagross lacks a 0.5 second Fast Attack, slowing down the Max Meter’s charging speed. Try to use another Pokemon like Venusaur to charge the meter more quickly, then be prepared to switch out to Metagross to absorb incoming Ice-type attacks and Skull Bash.

• If you are prepared to spend resources during the event, Lapras is the best tank counter to itself. It is considerably bulkier than Blastoise and possesses a double resistance to Ice. Furthermore, its massive HP stat makes it an amazing healer with Max Spirit.

Raid Information

General Team Building and Battle Strategy

• Choose a DPS counter and round out your team with Tank Counters. Your goal is to ensure that your DPS Counter can last as long as possible to maximize its potential damage output. Venusaur can flexibly play as both a DPS and a tank counter if it takes care to avoid Lapras’s Ice-type Attacks.

• Leading with your tank, charging the Max Meter, and then switching to your DPS counter during Dynamax is a simple general approach to getting great mileage from your fragile damage dealers. For example, you can lead with Blastoise, charge up the Max Meter, and then switch to Gigantamax Toxtricity during the Dynamax phase.

• Due to the potency of Lapras’s Charged Attacks, it is often important to stabilize your defenses before going on the offensive. During the first Dynamax phase, it is often beneficial to fortify your tank with Max Guard three times to significantly improve their survivability. Once their health is safe, you may begin switching to your DPS counters during the subsequent Dynamax phases to fully focus on their damage. Be sure to switch back to the tanks after the Dynamax phase ends to preserve your DPS counters!

• Remember that Max Guard also has a hidden redirection function. While a Pokemon is shielded, the boss will prioritize attacking said Pokemon when it uses its targeted Attack. Dodge this attack to help maintain your shields!

• Try and communicate with your local Trainers to coordinate who needs healing. In the absence of good communication, making use of Max Spirit and Max Guard becomes even more important to maintain your group’s longevity. As Max Spirit and Max Guard are not unlocked by default, you may have Trainers in your group who are only capable of using Max Attacks.

A Note on NOT using Charged Attacks

Using Charged Attacks is often not advised, as they can slow down the charging of the group’s shared Max Meter. There are specific mechanical reasons for this

• The Max Meter charges at a rate of 1 energy per 0.5% of the boss’s Max HP in damage, with a minimum of 1.

• Your group’s Pokemon will Dynamax once the meter reaches 100 energy.

• In a Gigantamax Max Battle, the boss is so tanky that no attack can grant more than 1 energy per use.

Many Charged Attacks have durations that are much longer than Fast Attacks, slowing down the charge if used. Similarly, the above reason is why having 0.5 second Fast Attacks is highly recommended, as they charge up the Max Meter quickly. Reaching the Dynamax phase as soon as possible is important not only due to the sheer potency of Max Moves, but also because it pauses the boss’s aggro - all this is a worthy tradeoff to a little bit of damage from Charged Attacks.

Reduce Damage by Switching Often

For trainers who seek to defeat Gigantamax Boss with a limited number of strong Trainers, their primary concern will be less about survivability and more about beating the hidden clock. If the boss isn’t defeated in a certain amount of time (roughly in 6 minutes), it will become “desperate” and its attacks will become catastrophically powerful shortly afterwards. This can quickly wipe out any remaining participants and end the fight. As such, prioritizing damage is important to avoid this fate.

In order to maximize damage, Trainers need to find ways to minimize their Max Guard and Max Spirit usage so they can click their Max Attacks as much as possible. To do so, they must make use of their Pokemon’s bulk and resistances, often employing switches so that the boss’s Attacks hit the “correct” targets. An example and a video of rapid switching against Gigantamax Toxtricity to nullify much of the boss’s Attacks are shown in this Reddit thread.

Lapras’s coverage can sometimes be challenging to overcome, but the same strategy can be used. For example, you can have a Venusaur and a Metagross against a Lapras with Hydro Pump and Skull Bash. Any time that you see Lapras attempt to Hydro Pump, prepare to switch to Venusaur. Any time you see an incoming Skull Bash, switch to Metagross.

TIP: You can dodge the boss’s targeted attack and THEN switch, and it will count as a dodged move for the incoming Pokemon.

Gigantamax Lapras and its Role in Max Battles

Gigantamax Lapras is a sturdy tank and a wonderful healer. Its overall bulk eclipses that of Metagross and Blastoise, and its high HP stat lets it provide plenty of heals with Max Spirit. Additionally, it is the only Ice-type Gigantamax Pokemon in the game, and the only Pokemon capable of utilizing an Ice-type Max Attack combined with a 0.5 second Fast Attack. This is because no Ice-type Fast Attack has a 0.5 second duration, and Dynamax Pokemon are required to have an Ice-type Fast Attack if they want an Ice-type Fast Attack. As a Gigantamax Pokemon, Lapras is not bound by this restriction, and it can use Water Gun to quickly charge the Max Meter.

However, Lapras does possess some flaws that can muddy up its strengths. Its Water/Ice typing can betray its excellent bulk due to its weaknesses and having only two resistances. As an attacker, Gigantamax Lapras’s fairly low Attack stat severely weakens its damaging potential. Many other Ice-type Dynamax Pokemon in the future will outperform Lapras’s G-Max Resonance, though Gigantamax Lapras remains a serviceable option due to its flexibility.

Parting Words

As Niantic continues to tweak the difficulty of Gigantamax Battles, pinpointing their exact difficulty may take some time before they can settle down. Gigantamax Gengar and Gigantamax Toxtricity have both been defeated by as little as 3 players, but don’t expect Lapras to be anywhere as easy as they were. Its weaknesses are less exploitable and its Charged Attacks are powerful and have wide coverage. However, if you have some powerful Trainers in your community, you absolutely stand a chance.

Defeating a Gigantamax boss grants some incredibly lucrative rewards, such as 25k Stardust, 25k XP, a guaranteed Rare Candy XL, 30 (Lapras) Candies, and of course, an encounter with Gigantamax Lapras (which can be shiny!). These rewards are worth at least going out to do a few free Gigantamax Battles for.

If you have the Gigantamax Lapras Ticket, the amount of XP you get is doubled to 50k. If you are willing to spend 200 coins for a reward upgrade, that can get you a staggering 100k XP (along with doubled stardust, rare candy xl, and candy). Throw in an active Lucky Egg and it’ll be like hitting Best Friends after every completion. Of course, these have significant costs, but the option is there for the most dedicated Trainers.

Good luck out there!