Pokémon Go Gigantamax Snorlax counters, weaknesses and tactics explained
How to defeat the Gigantamaxed Normal-type Pokémon.

Gigantamax Snorlax, the ultimate form of the Sleeping Pokémon, is here in the world of Pokémon Go.
This is the first Normal-type Gigantamax Pokémon in the game, and one of just three in the franchise. With the other two being Eevee and Meowth, this is clearly going to be the strongest option for Normal-type damage. It is also the tankiest that this tank has ever been.
Like all Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokémon, Gigantamax Snorlax can’t be caught in the wild. You must first head to the relevant Power Spot and beat it in a Max Battle.
For the uninitiated, Dynamax Pokémon are like normal Pokémon, but supersized. Gigantamax is a special version of Dynamax where, rather than being comically large, they take on a brand new appearance. In both cases, they're free to max out in a Max Battle, and revert to their normal form outside of battle.
If you've not added these to your collection yet, we strongly recommend reading our Max Battle explainer article first, so you know roughly what to expect.
Below you’ll find Gigantamax Snorlax’s counters and weaknesses to help you succeed in Pokémon Go. Once caught, you can use your Gigantamax Snorlax in future Max Battles.
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Gigantamax Snorlax counters and weaknesses in Pokémon Go
In order to battle a Gigantamax Snorlax, you first need to do three things:

- Have 800 Max Particles
- Have IRL friends who play the game
- Find a Power Spot with a Gigantamax Snorlax
While the upside to Max Battles not using Raid Passes is that this is obviously a money-saver for the player. The downside is that you need to find people to play with in real life, rather than remoting in. As with previous Gigantamax battles, we strongly recommend travelling to an urban centre for a pre-arranged meet-up. You have little chance of doing this solo or with a small group in a rural area.
Once you have achieved these lofty feats, you can begin the Max Battle and attempt to take down Gigantamax Snorlax. Don't worry if you fail the first time - your Max Particles aren't taken until you win the battle; as long as you have enough Revives and Potions, you can keep trying until you run out of battery! Below you’ll find the counters and weaknesses for Gigantamax Snorlax to help you win the Max Battle:
- Gigantamax Snorlax types - Normal-type
- Gigantamax Snorlax is weak against - Fighting-type attacks
- Gigantamax Snorlax is resistant to - Ghost-type attacks
- Gigantamax Snorlax top counters - Dynamax Machamp (Counter) is your strongest counter by a long way. If you don't have that, you should rely on other Fighting types – Dynamax Passimian or Dynamax Falinks (both with Counter). If you're fresh out of Fighting-types, you should bring your strongest Gigantamax Pokémon out of the following options: Gigantamax Charizard (Wing Attack), Gigantamax Lapras (Water Gun), Gigantamax Kingler (Water Gun), Gigantamax Blastoise (Water Gun) or Gigantamax Venusaur (Vine Whip) .


- Number of players to beat Gigantamax Snorlax - You’re looking at 10 at the absolute minimum. More would be ideal, up to a maximum of 40. Remember, you will be split into teams of four, so don't worry if you don't see everyone in your lobby! In your group of four, you should aim for two attackers, one healer and one defender.
- Tactics - Unlike bog-standard raids, the tactics here are a little more complicated...
- First, be aware that your Fast move governs your D-Max move, so make sure to bring a Fast move that Gigantamax Snorlax is weak against, if you can (ideally the one we suggest above).
- If you're one of the attackers, you need to focus on using your Fast Move as much possible, to unleash your Max Attack as quickly and often as possible.
- If you're out of fighters, and can leave that to someone who isn't, you should focus on either defending or healing your team. Dynamax Blissey is your best option for putting up a strong Max Guard, while Gigantamax Blastoise is the best option for Max Spirit. A little teamwork here goes a long way!
- Rewards for beating Gigantamax Snorlax - For taking down a 6* Gigantamax Snorlax, you will receive 25,000 Stardust, 25,000 XP, 1 Rare Candy XL, 30 Snorlax Candy, 1 Snorlax Candy XL and 10 Premier Balls. Don't forget to crack a Star Piece and a Lucky Egg beforehand if you want to maximise your Max rewards!
Make sure you know the October event and raid schedule. You can now catch Dynamax Pokémon through Max Battles. First, however, you need to visit Power Spots to collect Max Particles and complete the To the Max! quest. Don't forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.
Gigantamax Snorlax CP in Pokémon Go

Unlike with Raids, there is no visible CP on a Max Battle boss. Instead, it just has a giant health bar that gets slightly smaller with each hit. It's also worth noting that because these battles take place in their own special arena, there is no weather boost available.
Below you’ll find the CP levels for Gigantamax Snorlax in Pokémon Go:
- CP range for catching Gigantamax Snorlax - 1760 to 1843 CP
- CP for perfect Gigantamax Snorlax - 1843 CP
Best Snorlax moveset in Pokémon Go
Gigantamax Snorlax is currently the only Normal-type Max Pokémon in Pokémon Go, and definitely the strongest of the three options once everything is released. This means that as far as Max Battles go, you're almost certainly going to want this as an Normal-type option.
That said, if you want to use your fancy new Snorlax in Go Battle League, you are welcome to do so. Be aware, however, it won't be in its Gigantamax form! It's hardly fair for you to show up with a 114'10"+ (35m) behemoth to take down the opponent's Rattata, is it?
However, you should note that Snorlax was not built for Go Battle League - that sounds too high-energy for the sleepiest boi. Instead, Snorlax is a famed Gym defender, which is where it shines brightest. If you absolutely must bring Snorlax to battle, we recommend skipping the lower leagues and only using it for Master League. You should run Lick (Fast), Body Slam (Charged) and Superpower (Charged), which will help you take down both Necrozma, Giratina Origin, Mamoswine and Melmetal. This extremely bulky and spammy Pokémon can hold its own, but it still isn't the best use of your fancy new Snorlax!
Here are all the Fast and Charged moves Gigantamax Snorlax can use in Pokémon Go:
Fast Moves:
- Lick (Ghost)
- Zen Headbutt (Psychic)
Charged Moves:
- Body Slam (Normal)
- Superpower (Fighting)
- Outrage (Dragon)
- Heavy Slam (Steel)
- Earthquake (Ground)
- Skull Bash (Normal)
- Hyper Beam (Normal)
Legacy Fast Moves:
- Yawn (Normal)
Everything we know about Snorlax
The Sleeping Pokémon, Snorlax, is iconic. It is best known for its role as a barrier in the first Pokémon games. You had to go out of your way to pick up a specific item (a Poké Flute) that would wake Snorlax up so you could carry on your merry way. While we don't condone blocking the traffic, we can all get behind taking a nap in the middle of the day. Plus, who doesn't want to sleep on its great big belly? It's basically Pokémon's version of Totoro.
...or it would be if Snorlax wasn't based on a real human. Snorlax was designed by Ken Sugimori, who looked at his colleague Koji Nishino, who had a habit of eating and sleeping a lot. Snorlax's Japanese name, Kabigon, is both a nod to Kirby, the beloved Nintendo character who will eat his enemies, and the Japanese for mould (Kabi). The idea there being that Snorlax will eat anything, even if it's mouldy...
Granted, we're less keen on getting behind eating mouldy bread.

As you can see above, Snorlax is actually the evolved form of the Big Eater Pokémon, Munchlax. Munchlax was introduced as an Egg Pokémon later in the franchise's development. In Pokémon Go, you can only catch a Munchlax by hatching it from an Egg.
If you want to learn more about Munchlax, Snorlax and Gigantamax Snorlax, you can read their official Pokédex entries below:
- Munchlax: 'It needs to consume its own weight in food every day. As far as flavour is concerned, it’s indifferent. When it is voraciously gulping down food, it forgets about the food it has hidden under its fur.'
- Snorlax: 'Its stomach’s digestive juices can dissolve any kind of poison. Eating things off the ground doesn’t bother it at all. This gluttonous Pokémon eats constantly, apart from when it’s asleep. It devours nearly 900 pounds of food per day.'
- Gigantamax Snorlax: 'Gigantamax energy has affected stray seeds and even pebbles that got stuck to Snorlax, making them grow to a huge size. Terrifyingly strong, this Pokémon is the size of a mountain - and moves about as much as one as well.'
Oof, poor Snorlax! Its Gigantamax entry is basically just a fat joke!
It's also good to know that shiny Snorlax is in the game, which means that shiny Gigantamax Snorlax is in the game too! As you can see below, Shiny Snorlax is a slightly darker shade of blue.
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Good luck defeating Gigantamax Snorlax in Pokémon Go!