Deoxys

The mythical Pokémon Deoxys has finally made its way into Pokémon GO, stirring up the meta and providing us with a second EX Raid to battle our way through in the hopes of catching it.

What's most interesting about Deoxys is that there are four unique formes it can take that completely shake up how it plays. These are: Normal, Attack, Defense, and Speed. Bet you can guess what the purpose of each are.

Also interesting is the fact that Deoxys actually changes visually depending on its form, so you won't have to guess the type you're up against during battle.

A new raid Pokémon opens up a lot of different questions: what are the best counters? Where does it sit in the meta once caught? Which Deoxys form is best? Well, we aim to answer all of these questions and more in the guide below.

Pokémon GO Deoxys Explained

What Is Deoxys?

Deoxys is a gen 3 mythical Pokémon with an insanely high attack rating but relatively low defensive stats. It's a psychic type, and has the unique ability to take on four different formes that alter its stats. These are: Normal, Attack, Defense, and Speed.

How Do I Catch Deoxys?

Deoxys is currently only available via EX Raids, so you'll need an EX Raid pass to get a shot at catching it. Check out our Raids guide for more information.

How Do I Change Deoxys's Forme?

Deoxys has only just made it into Pokémon GO, and the only current form available is the Normal forme. We're not sure right now if you'll be able to change Deoxys's forme when the other three roll out or if you'll have to catch each forme as separate Pokémon. We'll update this guide as soon as we learn more.

Which is Deoxys's Best Forme?

Only Deoxys's Normal forme has made it into Pokémon GO so far, but we already know the stats for each of the formes so we can take a good look at this Pokémon's potential. Here are the stats for each forme below:

Appearance Forme Max CP Attack Stamina Defence
2
Normal 2,749 345 100 115
3
Attack 2,254 414 100 46
4
Defense 1,978 144 100 330
5
Speed 2,504 230 100 218

Aside from its Defense forme, Deoxys has a remarkably high attack rating, which will no doubt power it up the meta as a solid attack Pokémon. However, its low stamina across all formes makes it a very poor defender. Defence score isn't particularly important in Pokémon GO, where your Chanseys and Blisseys reign supreme thanks to their super high stamina.

On the flipside, Deoxys's Attack forme has a criminally low defence stat, which means it won't be able to take very many hits before going down. In fact, it's unlikely that it will survive even the weakest of Charge Moves with a defence score so low. As a result, the Attack forme likely won't see much use outside of some very unique situations.

So the best two are its Normal and Speed forms, with the edge going to its Normal form thanks to a much higher attack. It's a good thing that's the only forme available in the game right now then, huh?

What Is Deoxys's Best Moveset?

Not all formes of Deoxys are created equally. In fact, each forme has its own moveset:

Forme Fast Moves Charge Moves
Normal
  • Zen Headbutt
  • Charge Beam
  • Psycho Boost
  • Thunderbolt
  • Hyper Beam
Attack
  • Zen Headbutt
  • Poison Job
  • Psycho Boost
  • Zap Cannon
  • Dark Pulse
Defense
  • Zen Headbutt
  • Counter
  • Psycho Boost
  • Zap Cannon
  • Rock Slide
Speed
  • Zen Headbutt
  • Charge Beam
  • Psycho Boost
  • Zap Cannon
  • Swift

Going on our previous assessment that the Normal forme Deoxys is best, we'd say that the best moveset is Zen Headbutt and Hyper Beam, as these two provide the highest damage. There isn't an awful lot between Zen Headbutt and Charge Beam though, so don't despair if you get that instead.

If you get a Speed forme, we recommend Zen Headbutt and Zap Cannon. Again, that moveset offers the highest DPS.

Pokémon GO Deoxys EX Raid Strategies

What Are The Best Counters For Deoxys During An EX Raid?

Deoxys is a psychic type Pokémon, which are weak to dark, ghost, and bug types. We recommend the following counters as most effective:

Pokémon Fast Charge
Gengar Shadow Claw Shadow Ball
Haunter Lick Shadow Ball
Mewtwo Psycho Cut Shadow Ball
Banette Shadow Claw Shadow Ball
Absol Snarl Dark Pulse