what beats snorlax
Snorlax is a pure Normal-type, so the simple answer is: Fighting-type Pokémon and Fighting-type moves are the best at beating Snorlax in most games and in Pokémon GO.
Why Snorlax Is Hard To Beat
Snorlax is famous for:
- Very high HP and special bulk, so it soaks up lots of hits.
- Pure Normal typing, which gives it only one weakness (Fighting) and an immunity to Ghost.
- Strong moves like Body Slam, Hyper Beam, Earthquake, and coverage options that punish many would‑be counters.
That combination means you usually need either:
- Heavy Fighting damage, or
- Very strong physical walls that resist Normal.
Best Counters In Pokémon GO
Because Normal is weak to Fighting, you want strong Fighting attackers.
Top examples:
- Machamp with Counter + Dynamic Punch or Close Combat.
- Lucario with Counter + Aura Sphere.
- Conkeldurr with Counter + Dynamic Punch.
- Other solid Fighters like Hariyama, Blaziken, or Sirfetch’d with good Fighting charge moves.
Practical tips:
- Use fast moves like Counter to shred Snorlax’s HP quickly.
- Time your shields for heavy charged moves like Hyper Beam or Superpower.
- If you lack Fighters, high‑DPS attackers that hit neutral (like strong Dragon, Fairy, or Steel legendaries) can still win with enough CP advantage.
Main Counters In Traditional Games (Smogon / Cartridge)
In classic competitive formats, Snorlax often acts as a central defensive or offensive pivot, so people build specific answers to it.
Common answers:
- Fighting-types (e.g., Machamp with Cross Chop) to exploit its sole weakness.
- Ghost-types versus “mono‑Lax” sets that rely mainly on Normal moves, since Ghost is immune to Normal.
- Rock- and Steel-types that resist Normal and can wear it down:
- Skarmory is a very popular Gen 2 Snorlax check, resisting Normal and being immune to Earthquake, though it must fear Fire Blast or Thunder variants.
* Steelix can tank a lot while threatening back, even though it is weak to Snorlax’s common coverage moves.
Example thought process in team-building:
“If I’m weak to Snorlax, I add something like Skarmory or a strong Fighting- type so I’m not steamrolled mid-game.”
Quick Reference Table
Here’s a compact view of what beats Snorlax in different contexts:
| Context | Main Weakness Used | Good Pokémon / Types | Key Idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pokémon GO Raids / Gyms | Fighting | Machamp, Lucario, Conkeldurr, other Fighters with Counter + Fighting charge moves | [8][7]Exploit Normal’s Fighting weakness and burst through its HP. | [5][7]
| Pokémon GO PvP | Fighting / high DPS neutral | Same Fighters as above; strong neutral legendaries if you lack Fighters. | [8]Use shield baiting and smart timing to avoid big charged moves. | [4][8]
| Mainline competitive (Gen 2 style) | Fighting, Ghost immunity, Normal resistance | Machamp, Skarmory, Steelix, Ghost-types vs mono- Normal sets. | [2][9]Either hit it super‑effectively or wall its Normal STAB and chip it down. | [2][9]
Mini “Story” Example
Imagine queueing into a Great League battle and seeing Snorlax lead. You swap into your Machamp , start spamming Counter, and watch that huge HP bar drain surprisingly fast. Snorlax finally throws a Body Slam, you shield once, then land a Dynamic Punch that sends the sleepy giant crashing, exactly how Normal’s lone Fighting weakness is meant to be exploited.
TL;DR: When you wonder “what beats Snorlax,” the answer in almost every format is: strong Fighting-types (Machamp, Lucario, Conkeldurr, etc.), plus a few bulky Steel, Rock, or Ghost options in older competitive metas.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.