Heatran is a Fire- and Steel-type Pokemon, and brave trainers can now battle it as Pokemon GO’s newest Raid Boss. It is available for capture until January 15 at 4pm EST.
This new Legendary Pokemon is a fierce opponent, with 251 Attack, 213 Defense, 209 Stamina, and a Max CP of 3,754. As such, it is recommended that high level players tackle the encounter in groups of three or more while lower level trainers should have a squad of at least eight players.
Furthermore, players should be aware of the weather before they take on Heatran, as it is boosted by sun and snow. These weather effects will increase its capture CP to a maximum of 2,681 — a significant increase from the 2,145 maximum capture CP of an un-boosted Heatran.
When selecting Pokemon to battle against this new Legendary, it is important to note that it has a double weakness to Ground-types, and it is also vulnerable to Fighting- and Water-type Pokemon. This makes Groudon (with Mud Shot and Earthquake) and Rhyperior (with Mud-Slap and Earthquake) the premiere counters to Heatran.
Rhydon, Swampert, Golem, and Kyogre comprise the next tier of suitable counters, and trainers without access to any of these Pokemon can look towards other Ground- and Fighting-type Pokemon. However, it is not recommended to engage Heatran in a small group, or when boosted, without one of the aforementioned counters.
With the addition of Heatran, Pokemon GO receives yet another Gen 4 Pokemon. These Pokemon were featured in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, and they have been slowly introduced into the mobile game since October.
Unfortunately, Heatran’s move set leaves something to be desired, however, this new Raid Boss is a great opportunity for players to add a Legendary to their stables. Perhaps its utility will be confined to PvP, but many players are certain to be happy just to have some new PvE content to explore.
More details on tackling the Heatran encounter can be found on Pokemon GO Hub.
