Crowned Sword Zacian is a Fairy / Steel Legendary that appears in five-star raids. It is weak to only two types, Fire and Ground, and resists almost everything else.
Defeating it gives you Crowned Sword Energy and a chance to catch Zacian. The Zacian you catch is the Hero of Many Battles form, so a 100% IV catch is 2188 CP, or 2735 CP when weather boosted.
This Crowned Sword Zacian raid guide covers which counters to bring, which popular picks don’t work, how many players you need, and how many raids it takes to earn a Crowned Sword Zacian of your own.
When Crowned Sword Zacian Is in Raids
Crowned Sword Zacian appears in five-star raids during the Into the Wild event, from Monday, November 9, at 10:00 a.m. to Friday, November 13, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time. Its Raid Hour is Monday, November 9, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. local time.
Crowned Shield Zamazenta shares the five-star raid rotation and has its own Raid Hour on Tuesday, November 10. See the Crowned Shield Zamazenta raid guide. For the rest of the event, see the Into the Wild 2026 guide, the November 2026 guide and Dynamax Trails, which is free with the Into the Wild GO Pass.
Crowned Sword Zacian: Confirmed Details
Everything in this section is from the official Into the Wild announcement unless another official post is linked.
- Type: Fairy / Steel.
- Weak to: Fire and Ground. Each deals 1.6x damage.
- Resists: Dragon (about 0.24x), Bug (about 0.39x), and Dark, Fairy, Flying, Grass, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic and Rock (0.625x).
- Crowned Sword Energy: earned by defeating Crowned Sword Zacian in raids.
- What you catch: a Hero of Many Battles Zacian, which is pure Fairy (official 2025 post).
- Transforming: 1,000 Crowned Sword Energy turns a Zacian that knows the Charged Attack Iron Head into Crowned Sword Zacian. Iron Head becomes Behemoth Blade. Crowned Sword Zacian can’t be traded or sent to Pokémon HOME (official 2025 post).
- Shiny: the Zacian you encounter can be Shiny.
Into the Wild bonuses that affect this raid
- The Remote Raid limit is 30 from November 9 to 13.
- Catches from five-star raids during Into the Wild have a chance of a new Special Background.
- GO Pass Deluxe: Into the Wild (US$14.99) adds 5,000 XP per completed raid at Rank 1, and 1 extra Candy plus 1 extra Candy XL (level 31 and up) per completed raid at Rank 3.
- Completing the Into the Wild Global Challenge makes the Behemoth Blade Adventure Effect more effective.
- Daily Discoveries are paused from November 9 to 15, so there is no regular Wednesday Raid Hour that week.
What isn’t stated
- How much Crowned Sword Energy each raid gives.
- The raid boss’s moves. You see them when Zacian uses them in battle.
- Shiny odds.
Best Crowned Sword Zacian Counters
Community simulations from GO Hub rank Fire attackers highest, with Primal Groudon and Mega Garchomp the top Ground options. These are the top ten from their counters database:
| # | Counter | Fast Move | Charged Move | Type of damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mega Delphox | Fire Spin | Blast Burn | Fire |
| 2 | Primal Groudon | Mud Shot | Precipice Blades | Ground |
| 3 | Blacephalon | Incinerate | Mind Blown | Fire |
| 4 | Mega Charizard Y | Fire Spin | Blast Burn+ | Fire |
| 5 | Shadow Reshiram | Fire Fang | Fusion Flare | Fire |
| 6 | Shadow Heatran | Fire Spin | Magma Storm | Fire |
| 7 | Mega Blaziken | Fire Spin | Blast Burn | Fire |
| 8 | Mega Garchomp | Mud Shot | Earthquake+ | Ground |
| 9 | Shadow Chandelure | Fire Spin | Overheat | Fire |
| 10 | Reshiram | Fire Fang | Fusion Flare | Fire |
Counter rankings are from the GO Hub Crowned Sword Zacian counters database and raid guide. Moves marked + are event-exclusive moves. A regular Charged TM can’t teach them, so you need a Pokémon that learned the move during an event, or an Elite TM where one works.
Easier-to-build Crowned Sword Zacian counters
If you don’t have the Pokémon above, these options rank in GO Hub’s top 30:
- Fire: Chandelure (Fire Spin / Overheat), Volcarona (Fire Spin / Overheat), Skeledirge (Incinerate / Blast Burn), Delphox (Fire Spin / Blast Burn), Shadow Charizard (Fire Spin / Blast Burn).
- Ground: Shadow Excadrill (Mud-Slap / Scorching Sands), Shadow Garchomp (Mud Shot / Earth Power), Groudon (Mud Shot / Precipice Blades).
- Mega options: Mega Charizard X (Fire Spin / Blast Burn), Mega Houndoom (Fire Fang / Flamethrower), Mega Swampert (Mud Shot / Earthquake).
Counters that don’t work against the Crowned form
A lot of Zacian advice is written for the Hero of Many Battles form, which is pure Fairy and weak to Steel and Poison. Crowned Sword Zacian is part Steel, which changes both:
- Steel attackers deal neutral damage, not super effective.
- Poison attackers are resisted.
- Dragon attackers are double resisted. Even your best Dragons deal about a quarter of their usual damage.
If a counter list is mostly Steel and Poison types, it was built for the wrong form.
What the Community Has Documented
- Group size: GO Hub’s counters database estimates about 3 to 4 trainers with top counters. Its raid guide says a trio is possible in ideal conditions but recommends 4 to 6 high-level players, and more for lower-level teams.
- Estimates, not guarantees: GO Hub’s faint and time-to-win numbers don’t include damage boosts from other players’ Mega Pokémon, so a real lobby usually goes faster.
- Possible moves: GO Hub lists Metal Claw and Air Slash, plus Behemoth Blade, Play Rough, Close Combat and Giga Impact. Fire types resist Metal Claw, Behemoth Blade and Play Rough. Close Combat hits Heatran and Excadrill super effectively, and Play Rough hits Garchomp super effectively.
- Energy per raid: at GO Fest 2025, esports.gg reported about 80 to 110 Crowned Sword Energy per raid, with faster wins giving more. At that rate, 1,000 Energy takes roughly 10 to 15 raids.
- Shiny odds: community sources report Shiny odds of about 1 in 20 for this raid, in line with other Legendary raids.
- IV floor: raid catches are widely reported to have at least 10 in each IV. That puts an unboosted Zacian between 2100 and 2188 CP, and a boosted one between 2625 and 2735 CP.
Practical Application: Plan Your Zacian Raids
Example: it’s Sunny on Monday evening for the Raid Hour. Sunny boosts both Fire and Ground, so every counter in the top ten is boosted, and none of Zacian’s moves are. That’s the fastest raid you’ll get, but the catch isn’t weather boosted, so the most you’ll see is 2188 CP. If it turns Cloudy instead, the catch is boosted (up to 2735 CP), but so are Zacian’s Play Rough and Close Combat, and your Fire and Ground counters lose their boost. Plan on an extra player on a Cloudy day.
A few rules follow from this:
- Lead with Fire. Fire types that aren’t part Steel resist half of Zacian’s moves and last longer. Save Ground types for backup.
- Ignore old Zacian counter lists. Steel and Poison were for the Hero form. Against the Crowned form they’re neutral or resisted.
- Raid fast for more Energy. Faster wins are reported to give more Crowned Sword Energy, so a bigger lobby is better than a barely-enough one.
- Use your 30 Remote Raids. The limit is raised to 30 from November 9 to 13. That’s enough for a full 1,000 Energy at the reported rate, with in-person raids on top.
- Check your Zacian knows Iron Head before you finish collecting Energy. Only a Zacian with Iron Head can transform.
- Use your Mega first. Mega Charizard Y and Mega Delphox rank near the top, and an active Mega boosts damage for the whole lobby.
- Check CP on the catch screen. 2188 (or 2735 when boosted) is a 100% IV Zacian. Use a Golden Razz Berry if you see it.
- Plan Tuesday too. The Crowned Shield Zamazenta Raid Hour is the next evening, and most of the same Fire and Ground counters work there.
Tracking Your Zacian Catches
After a Raid Hour and a week of remote raids, it’s easy to lose track of which Zacian is the high-IV one, which one knows Iron Head, and which one has the Into the Wild Special Background.
A tracker like GoDex can help. Scan a catch screenshot to read CP and IVs, tag the one you plan to transform, and mark Shiny and Special Background catches as you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Crowned Sword Zacian weak to in Pokémon GO? Fire and Ground. It is Fairy / Steel, so Steel attacks are neutral and Poison attacks are resisted, unlike the Hero form.
What is the best Crowned Sword Zacian counter? GO Hub’s simulations rank Mega Delphox and Primal Groudon at the top. Without Megas or Legendaries, Shadow Chandelure, Chandelure, Volcarona and Shadow Excadrill rank well.
What is the 100% IV CP for Zacian from Crowned Sword raids? 2188 CP without weather boost and 2735 CP in Cloudy weather. You catch the Hero of Many Battles form, not the Crowned form.
When is the Crowned Sword Zacian Raid Hour? Monday, November 9, 2026, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. local time, during Into the Wild.
How many players do you need for Crowned Sword Zacian? About 3 to 4 with top counters. Four to six is more comfortable, and more if your counters are lower level.
How do you get Crowned Sword Zacian? Earn 1,000 Crowned Sword Energy by defeating Crowned Sword Zacian in raids, then use it on a Zacian that knows Iron Head.
Key Takeaways
- Bring Fire, then Ground. Those are the only two weaknesses.
- Skip Steel, Poison and Dragon. They’re neutral, resisted or double resisted against the Crowned form.
- Look for 2188 or 2735 CP on the catch screen for a 100% IV Zacian.
- Use all 30 Remote Raids from November 9 to 13 to reach 1,000 Crowned Sword Energy.
We do our best to keep these guides accurate, but Pokémon GO mechanics change often. If you spot a mistake or something that's out of date, please send us feedback — we'll fix it.
About GoDex
A free companion app for tracking your collection, scanning IVs from screenshots, and checking PVP rankings. Available on iOS and Android.
