Standard Dialga is a Steel/Dragon-type raid boss, so Fighting- and Ground-type attacks deal super-effective damage. Build a party around your strongest attackers of those types, then choose between fast damage and survivability based on your team, weather and friendship bonuses. A successful standard raid encounter is usually 2,217–2,307 CP without a weather boost, or 2,771–2,884 CP when Snow or Windy weather boosts the boss.
Use consistent curveball throws, wait for the largest catch circle you can hit reliably, and prioritize a Golden Razz Berry when keeping the encounter matters most. Do not treat any single throw as a guarantee. Origin Forme Dialga is a separate encounter: its event availability and the chance of Roar of Time depend on the active rotation, so check the in-game raid tab immediately before spending passes.
What is Dialga weak against in Pokémon GO?
Dialga is Steel/Dragon, and Fighting and Ground attacks are its relevant weaknesses. Those two attack types should form the core of a raid team; neutral damage is generally a slower and less efficient way to use a limited timer.
Type advantage is only the starting point. A counter that posts exceptional damage per second (DPS) can end the battle quickly, while a bulkier attacker with higher total damage output (TDO) may stay alive long enough to contribute more damage over the entire attempt. Your result also changes with move quality, attacker level, Shadow bonuses, weather, friendship damage bonuses, Mega bonuses and how many trainers are in the lobby.
Published counter simulations report DPS, TDO, faint count and time-to-win, while accounting for defender typing, weather, energy left after charged attacks and Shadow-stat changes. Their stated estimates do not include friendship or Mega damage boosts, and they are not field-tested guarantees. Use the numbers as a way to compare your own roster under similar settings, not as a universal ranking.
Which Dialga counters should I use?
The best practical party is the one that combines reliable Fighting- and Ground-type damage with enough durability to avoid repeated relobbying. There is no single order that wins for every account, because a level-50 attacker with an average moveset can outperform a lower-level species that is theoretically higher on a simulator list.
| Counter profile | Why it works | Best use | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-DPS Fighting attackers | Exploit Dialga’s weakness and can shorten the timer quickly. | Strong rosters, larger groups or weather that favors Fighting damage. | Some fast attackers faint quickly against powerful charged moves. |
| High-DPS Ground attackers | Also hit super effectively and often provide a good balance of damage and endurance. | Most general-purpose parties, especially when your Ground roster is better powered. | Performance depends heavily on having Ground-type charged moves available. |
| Bulky Fighting or Ground attackers | Remain active longer and reduce the number of relobbies. | Small groups, weaker healer support or unfamiliar raid movesets. | Lower peak DPS can leave less time if the lobby is underpowered. |
| Mixed six | Combines the fastest available attackers with durable backups. | Players whose best Fighting and Ground Pokémon are unevenly powered. | Less consistent than a specialized party if one type is far stronger. |
Examples of useful species
Common Fighting-oriented examples include Lucario, Machamp and Terrakion. Ground-oriented examples include Groudon, Garchomp and Excadrill. These examples are not a guaranteed ranking: evaluate the individual Pokémon’s level, IVs, fast move, charged move and whether it is Shadow or otherwise boosted. A familiar attacker with the correct type moves is usually more useful than an unpowered species chosen only because it appears high on a list.
How to compare two candidates
Compare at least four things before spending Stardust or Elite TMs:
- Type effectiveness: confirm the damaging moves are Fighting or Ground rather than a neutral alternative.
- DPS: favors a faster clear and is especially valuable when the lobby is small.
- TDO and faint count: indicate how much damage the Pokémon can contribute before it faints.
- Practical availability: a powered-up Pokémon you already own may be better than a theoretical option you cannot assemble before the raid.
If your first six are all fragile, place sturdier backups behind them. A second team that can re-enter immediately is often more useful than trying to force six glass cannons and losing time in the relobby screen.
How do weather, friendship and Mega bonuses change the fight?
Weather and team bonuses can move the result substantially even when the counter species and moves stay the same. The published simulations account for some weather and Shadow-stat effects, but their stated estimates omit friendship and Mega damage boosts, so do not copy a simulator time-to-win directly into your local lobby.
- Weather: in-game weather can strengthen the boss, your counter type, or both. Snow and Windy weather also determine whether the post-raid Dialga is weather boosted. Sunny conditions are commonly favorable to Ground attacks, while Cloudy conditions commonly favor Fighting attacks; confirm the weather icon and the move types before choosing a party.
- Friendship: higher friendship levels provide raid damage bonuses. The exact benefit is applied in battle but is not included in the cited counter estimates.
- Mega and Primal effects: an active Mega or Primal Pokémon can increase compatible attack damage for the party. The cited simulator figures do not include those boosts, so an in-person group with a Mega may finish sooner than the published estimate.
- Shadow Pokémon: Shadow stat changes are included in the simulator’s stated methodology, but their extra damage comes with lower durability. Bring more than six usable attackers if your team relies heavily on Shadows.
How should I build a Dialga raid party?
Use this preparation sequence before entering the lobby. It prevents the common mistake of selecting a high-CP team whose moves do not exploit Dialga’s weaknesses.
- Open the raid boss page and confirm the form. Standard Dialga and Origin Forme Dialga are separate encounters. Check the silhouette, name and event text before selecting counters.
- Filter your Pokémon by Fighting and Ground moves. Check the fast and charged move types, not only the Pokémon’s species typing. A Pokémon with no Fighting or Ground attack may be a poor choice despite having a high CP.
- Sort your candidates by battle performance. Favor a combination of DPS and TDO. If two options are close, choose the one with the better level, move availability and survivability on your account.
- Prepare a second team. Six attackers that faint at once can force a long relobby. Add durable backups and revive your primary team before the raid if your group is small.
- Coordinate friendship and Mega bonuses. Join friends at the highest available friendship level and decide who, if anyone, will lead with a Mega or Primal Pokémon.
- Review the lobby size and weather. A large local group can tolerate lower individual DPS; a small or remote group needs stronger, more durable counters. Recheck the weather because it can change both damage and the encounter’s CP range.
What CP will a caught Dialga have after the raid?
The encounter CP depends on whether the raid was weather boosted. The following ranges are the cited level-20 and level-25 reference values for standard Dialga.
| Raid condition | Encounter level | Dialga CP range |
|---|---|---|
| No weather boost | Level 20 | 2,217–2,307 CP |
| Snow or Windy weather boost | Level 25 | 2,771–2,884 CP |
A CP outside these ranges is not automatically proof that something is wrong; verify that you are comparing standard Dialga, the correct weather state and the correct encounter screen. The published reference also lists 4,565 as Dialga’s maximum CP at level 50. That level-50 maximum is a powered-up Pokémon limit, not the CP range of a raid catch.
What the weather boost means for your catch
Snow or Windy weather raises the raid encounter to level 25, producing the higher CP range. It does not make the capture automatic. A weather-boosted encounter can still break out repeatedly, and its higher level may make the catch circle feel less forgiving.
How do I catch Dialga after the raid?
After the battle, you receive a limited number of Premier Balls. The goal is to turn as many of those throws as possible into controlled curveball hits rather than rushing through the sequence.
- Settle the encounter. Wait for Dialga’s attack animation to finish and throw during the opening after the attack. This reduces wasted balls while the boss is moving.
- Use a curveball every time you can do so accurately. Curveballs improve the modeled catch chance compared with a straight throw, but a miss is worse than a smaller accurate throw.
- Lock the circle at a reliable size. Hold the ball until the circle shrinks to the largest Excellent or Great size you can repeatedly hit, then release during the attack recovery. A smaller consistent ring is preferable to chasing an Excellent that you rarely land.
- Choose the berry for your priority. Use a Golden Razz Berry when securing this particular Dialga matters most. A Silver Pinap can be considered when extra candy is your priority, but its modeled catch odds are lower than a Golden Razz in the cited comparison.
- Keep your throw rhythm. Do not throw immediately after a breakout. Reset the circle, wait for the next attack animation and repeat the same curve.
What are the modeled catch odds?
The cited level-20 model gives a 1.67% base catch chance before throw or berry bonuses. Under the model’s stated conditions and with no medal bonuses, a curveball Excellent throw is calculated at 5.17% without a berry and 7.51% with a Golden Razz Berry.
| Level-20 modeled scenario | Calculated catch chance | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| No throw or berry bonus | 1.67% | Baseline per-throw model, not a guarantee. |
| Curveball Excellent, no berry | 5.17% | Requires a successfully landed Excellent curveball. |
| Curveball Excellent plus Golden Razz Berry | 7.51% | Highest cited example; assumes no medal bonuses. |
These are per-throw calculations for the stated level-20 conditions, not a fixed probability for every player or every weather state. Medal bonuses, ring quality, curveball accuracy, encounter level and game updates can change the actual result. Even the 7.51% example can fail several times in a row, so conserve your Premier Balls and keep throwing carefully.
What is the difference between standard Dialga and Origin Forme Dialga?
Standard Dialga is the form covered by the weakness, CP and catch guidance above. Origin Forme Dialga can appear in a different raid rotation or event and may offer the exclusive Charged Attack Roar of Time, so do not assume that a standard Dialga raid will provide that move.
| Feature | Standard Dialga | Origin Forme Dialga |
|---|---|---|
| Raid identity | Standard Forme | Distinct Origin Forme encounter |
| Typing | Steel/Dragon | Check the active in-game encounter details |
| Roar of Time | Not implied by an ordinary standard encounter | May be available when the event or rotation specifies it |
| Availability | Depends on the current raid rotation | Depends on the current raid rotation or event |
In Niantic’s Ultra Unlock: Origin Raid Day announcement, Origin Forme Dialga appeared more frequently on Sunday, August 10, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time. The announcement said, “Trainers who encounter and defeat Origin Forme Dialga in a Raid Battle have a chance to catch one that knows the Charged Attack Roar of Time.” Those dates describe that historical event; they do not establish availability in October 2026 or any later rotation.
What does Roar of Time’s Adventure Effect do?
Niantic’s Adventure Effects information states that activating Roar of Time costs 5,000 Stardust and 5 Dialga Candy. It pauses the timers for Incense, Daily Adventure Incense, Lucky Eggs and Star Pieces for six minutes, and the effect can be extended. These costs and duration are game mechanics that may be revised, so check the move description in your current app before investing resources.
How can I verify that Dialga is actually in the current rotation?
The event announcement and counter pages do not establish a live October 2026 raid schedule. Before traveling or using a pass, open the in-game Nearby or Raid tab and read the boss name, form, start and end time, and any event-specific move text.
- Confirm whether the silhouette says Dialga or Origin Forme Dialga.
- Check the local raid egg timer and the time remaining after the egg hatches.
- Read the event details for move eligibility, especially if Roar of Time is your reason for raiding.
- Use the weather icon at the gym to determine the encounter level and CP range you should expect.
- Recheck the lobby after a remote invitation, because the raid may have ended or the boss may have changed.
What are the most common Dialga raid mistakes?
Using the wrong move type
High CP alone does not make a good counter. Replace neutral attackers with Fighting- or Ground-type damage whenever your roster allows it, and inspect both move slots.
Treating a simulator ranking as a promise
Published DPS and time-to-win values are conditional calculations. Friendship, Mega effects, party composition, weather and your timing can produce a different result. Use rankings to make a shortlist, then choose the strongest practical team you can field.
Spending a Golden Razz Berry on every throw without aiming
The berry helps only when the ball connects. Wait for the attack cycle, use a controlled curve and target the largest ring you can hit consistently.
Confusing raid CP with level-50 CP
A 4,565 maximum CP reference is not a promise that a raid catch will appear near that number. Standard raid catches use the level-20 or weather-boosted level-25 ranges listed above.
Assuming a past Origin event is permanent
The August 2025 Origin Raid Day was time-limited. Verify the current event text before planning a session around Roar of Time.
Dialga raid preparation checklist
- Six or more powered-up Fighting- and Ground-type attackers.
- At least one backup team that can enter without a lengthy revive break.
- Correct moves on every selected attacker.
- Revives and Potions restored before the lobby starts.
- Golden Razz Berries saved for an encounter you especially want to secure.
- A clear plan for curveball timing and ring size.
- Friendship bonuses and any Mega or Primal support coordinated with the group.
- Current raid form, local time window and move eligibility confirmed in the app.
- An optional phone power bank for a long play session; it is a general convenience, not a Dialga-specific requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a best buddy bonus change Dialga raid damage?
A Best Buddy can receive a combat boost when it is actively assigned as your buddy, but the cited counter estimates do not establish a universal value for that bonus. Treat it as an account-specific improvement and still prioritize the correct Fighting or Ground moves.
Why did my weather-boosted Dialga have more CP but still break out?
Weather boost raises the encounter level from the standard level-20 reference to the level-25 reference, which produces the higher CP range. It does not remove the normal capture mechanics, so curveball accuracy, ring size, berries and your remaining Premier Balls still matter.
Can I get Roar of Time from any Dialga I catch?
No. The move is tied to the form and event or rotation that offers it. A historical announcement gave Origin Forme Dialga a chance to know Roar of Time, but it did not say that every standard Dialga encounter would have the move.
Is a 2,307 CP Dialga guaranteed to be perfect?
No. The top of the unboosted level-20 range is only the highest CP in that cited encounter range. Appraisal values and individual IVs determine whether a catch is perfect; CP alone is not enough to identify it.