Raids are the heartbeat of Pokemon Go. You see a giant egg, you gather some friends, and you tap your screen until your fingers hurt. Simple. But then there’s the 6 star raid Pokemon Go players occasionally stumble upon, and suddenly, the "simple" game becomes a frantic race against a clock that moves way too fast.
Basically, 6-star raids don't officially exist under that specific name in the game's code anymore, yet everyone calls them that. They are the Mega Legendary raids. Think Mega Latios, Mega Latias, or the terrifying Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon. These aren't your standard Tier 5 encounters. If you walk into one of these thinking your level 30 Tyranitar is going to carry the day, you're in for a very short, very sad experience.
What actually makes it a 6 star raid Pokemon Go encounter?
When Niantic first introduced Mega Legendary Pokemon, the community noticed something weird. The CP (Combat Power) was astronomical. We’re talking 80,000 to over 90,000 CP. That is significantly higher than the typical 50,000 range you see with a standard Dialga or Palkia.
These fights are a gatekeeper. Honestly, they’re designed to force coordination. You can’t just "poke" at a Mega Latios with three people and expect to win. You need a crowd. Or, you need a very specific group of players who have spent way too much Stardust on Level 50 counters.
The rewards are different, too. You aren't just catching the base form; you’re earning Mega Energy. This energy is the only way to evolve your own monsters into these temporary powerhouses. If you fail the raid because your group was too small, you walk away with nothing but wasted Revives and a bitter taste in your mouth.
The Primal Reversion problem
Let’s talk about the Hoenn Tour. That was the moment 6-star raids—disguised as Primal Raids—really broke the player base. Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon are arguably the hardest fights the game has ever seen.
Why? Because they have massive HP pools and devastating movepools.
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A Primal Kyogre using Blizzard can wipe an entire team of Grass and Dragon types in a single hit. It’s brutal. You’re forced into this cycle of: dodge, hit, faint, lobby, heal, repeat. If you’re playing in a rural area, these raids are essentially impossible without remote raid passes and Discord coordination. It’s a point of contention in the community. Many feel that the jump in difficulty from Tier 5 to Tier 6 is too steep for the average casual player who just wants to catch a cool whale.
How to survive the chaos
You need a strategy that goes beyond "use the recommended team." The game's recommended team is often garbage. It prioritizes survival over DPS (Damage Per Second), and in a 6 star raid Pokemon Go scenario, DPS is the only thing that matters. You are fighting the timer, not just the Pokemon.
- Mega Evolutions of your own. If you’re fighting a Psychic-type Mega Legendary, you better have a Mega Gengar or Mega Tyranitar active to boost everyone else’s damage. The 10-30% damage boost is mandatory.
- Party Play. This is the secret sauce. Using the Party Power button doubles the damage of your next Charged Attack. In a 6-star raid, those double-damage Hydro Pumps or Shadow Balls are the difference between a win and a 5% health timeout.
- The "Empty Lobby" Trick. Some hardcore players still swear by starting with an empty team to sync the clock. It’s niche, but every second counts when the boss has 22,500 HP.
The math behind the madness
If you look at the stats, a Tier 5 raid boss has a fixed HP of 15,000. When you step up to what we call 6-star raids, that HP jumps to 22,500.
That’s a 50% increase in bulk.
Meanwhile, the timer usually stays at 300 seconds. You’re doing 50% more work in the same amount of time. If you have 10 players, each person needs to contribute roughly 2,250 damage. That sounds easy until you realize the boss is hitting back like a freight train.
I’ve seen groups of 8 players fail a Mega Latias raid because they didn't realize she had Charm as a Fast Move. Charm shreds through the Dragon-type counters everyone loves to use. It’s a chess match, sort of. You have to know the typing, but you also have to know the potential movepool. If you see your Rayquaza dying in three hits, you need to swap to Steel types immediately, even if they do less damage, just to stay in the fight longer.
Why Niantic keeps them rare
You won't see these raids every week. They are reserved for special events. This is intentional. It creates a "raid train" culture where players pile into cars or meet at local parks to hit 10 or 20 raids in a row. It’s the peak of the social experience in Pokemon Go, but it’s also the most stressful.
The catch rate is another story. After struggling through a 6-star battle, you’re presented with the base form of the legendary. It’s still a 2% base catch rate. You can hit 13 Excellent Curveballs with Golden Razz Berries and still watch that Latias flee. It’s heartbreaking. But that’s the game.
Actionable steps for your next encounter
To actually win these things without wasting your passes, you have to be proactive. Don't just show up and hope for the best.
- Check the Weather: If it’s windy, Dragon and Psychic moves are boosted. Great for your damage, but the boss will also hit you 20% harder. Plan accordingly.
- Coordinate via Campfire: Use the Niantic Campfire map to see where people are gathering. If a gym has a "flare" lit, it means someone is actually there.
- Max out your counters: Don't settle for Level 30 Pokemon. Use your XL Candy. A 6-star raid is exactly what that resource was made for.
- Friendship Bonuses: Raid with Best Friends. The extra damage bonus and the extra Premier Balls are not optional; they are required for success.
Stop treating these like standard raids. They are boss fights in the truest sense. Treat them with respect, bring a crowd, and make sure your phone is fully charged because your processor is going to be screaming by the end of the three-minute mark.
Next Steps for Players:
Identify your top 6 counters for the current Mega Legendary in rotation and power them up to at least Level 40. Join a local or global raiding community via apps like PokeGenie or LeekDuck to ensure you never enter a lobby with fewer than 10 people for these specific 6-star challenges.