A Max Raid Battle (Japanese: マックスレイドバトル Max Raid Battle) is a Pokémon battle in which four Trainers battle against a wild Dynamax/Gigantamax Pokémon, which remains Dynamaxed or Gigantamaxed for the whole battle.

Artwork of a Max Raid Battle against a Pangoro

In the games

The player can start a Max Raid Battle by interacting with an active Pokémon Den, indicated by a beam of light shooting up from it. If a den is inactive, the player can throw a Wishing Piece into it to summon a Dynamax Pokémon.

When starting a Max Raid Battle, players can see a silhouette of the Dynamax Pokémon, its types, and a star rating of its difficulty. The current weather is also displayed. The loss condition, "The battle ends when Pokémon faint four times or the battle lasts for 10 turns", is displayed in the lower left corner. Additionally, the player can see the other three Trainers participating and the Pokémon they have selected to enter. Players have a time limit to select their Pokémon before the Max Raid Battle automatically starts with the Pokémon they have selected by default.

Players can only find up to three different star ratings at a time in their own dens, depending on their game progress:

Star Level HP Multiplier Starts Appearing Stops Appearing
1.4× Enter Wild Area Obtain 6 Badges
★★ 1.6× Obtain 1 Badge Obtain 8 Badges
★★★ 1.9× Obtain 3 Badges Never
★★★★ 2.5× Obtain 6 Badges Never
★★★★★ 3.0× Obtain 8 Badges Never

Four Trainers are required to conduct a Max Raid Battle. The player can connect with other players to challenge a Max Raid Battle by using the Y-Comm over the internet or local wireless. If there are less than four players, then the game will randomly select NPC Trainers to fill in the remaining slots.

Battle

  This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Modified damage formula (it seems moves can be reduced to 0 damage) and OHKO accuracy formula under effect of mysterious barrier

Each Trainer uses a single Pokémon (from either their party or Box) against the Dynamax Pokémon. If a Trainer's Pokémon faints, they can cheer on the remaining Trainers as they attempt to complete the Max Raid Battle, which has the potential to generate positive effects such as healing or setting up Reflect; the fainted Pokémon will automatically be revived at full health the following turn. If the challengers' Pokémon faint a total of 4 times (even if it is the same Pokémon) or if the 10-turn limit is reached, the Max Raid Battle is lost. If both the Dynamax Pokémon and the 4th challenger Pokémon are knocked out in the same move (such as through the recoil effects of moves such as Brave Bird), the battle is counted as a loss for the challengers. If the Dynamax Pokémon is successfully defeated, all four Trainers can attempt to catch the Dynamax Pokémon and receive several various rewards based on the Dynamax Pokémon that was encountered. A Max Raid Battle can be repeatedly attempted until either the player wins (regardless of capture success) or when the dens reset.

Only one Trainer can Dynamax their Pokémon during a Max Raid Battle; unlike the wild Dynamax Pokémon, this transformation only lasts for the normal three turns. Each turn, one Trainer receives Dynamax Energy; only that player can Dynamax that turn, and if they do not, this energy is passed to another player next turn. The player who hosts the Max Raid Battle will always be the first to have the option to Dynamax.

Depending on the star level, the Dynamax Pokémon may be able to use regular moves in addition to Max Moves. It can also attack up to three times per turn and create a shockwave, which cancels the effect of the players' Abilities and stat changes and cures it of Non-volatile status conditions.

In three-star Max Raids and higher, the wild Dynamax Pokémon have specific HP thresholds in which they will create a protective barrier with two to eight segments, depending on its defensive power. In three- and four-star Max Raids, the Dynamax Pokémon will create a barrier one time; in five-star Max Raids, it will create a barrier twice, sometimes with the first barrier at the start of the battle. While this barrier is active, damage-dealing moves used against the Dynamax Pokémon are severely weakened and are unable to apply secondary effects, and status moves used against the Dynamax Pokémon will fail. Damage-dealing moves will deplete one bar of the barrier's strength, except Max Moves and one-hit knockout moves which instead deplete two bars. When the barrier runs out of bars, the barrier is destroyed, the Dynamax Pokémon's Defense and Special Defense will drop by two stages, and it takes a portion of the damage it would have received while its barriers were active.

Some moves work differently when raid bosses use them, such as Belch, which will work regardless of berries, and Dig will have it attack immediately.

The following moves will fail if used in a Max Raid Battle:

Move Type Cat.
Bug Bite  Bug  Physical {{{3}}} {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}}
Destiny Bond  Ghost  Status {{{3}}} {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}}
Explosion  Normal  Physical {{{3}}} {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}}
Incinerate  Fire  Special {{{3}}} {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}}
Instruct  Psychic  Status {{{3}}} {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}}
Knock Off  Dark  Physical {{{3}}} {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}}
Perish Song  Normal  Status {{{3}}} {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}}
Pluck  Flying  Physical {{{3}}} {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}}
Self-Destruct  Normal  Physical {{{3}}} {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}}
Super Fang  Normal  Physical {{{3}}} {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}}
Thief  Dark  Physical {{{3}}} {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}}

Capture

  This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Exact mechanics of catch rate for Wild Area News Gigantamax

Upon defeating the Dynamax Pokémon, each player has a single chance to capture it. As a rule, the host's capture chance is higher than that of the guests. Should the capture fail, the Pokémon will disappear. Regardless of the attempt's success (or if the player declined to catch it), all players will be awarded Exp. Candies, TRs, and other items based on the Pokémon that was fought.

The caught Pokémon's moves and Ability will be the same as it was during the Max Raid Battle; some Dynamax Pokémon encountered in Max Raid Battles will have their Hidden Ability. If it was a Gigantamax Pokémon, the caught Pokémon will have the Gigantamax Factor. Pokémon caught in Max Raid Battles will also have a number of stats with the maximum 31 IVs and have increased their Dynamax Levels, increasingly with the Max Raid's difficulty.

The catch rate for a Dynamax Pokémon depends on several factors, such as whether the player is hosting the raid and whether the raid is from a Wild Area News event. They are all calculated with the Pokémon at 1 HP and no status conditions. If the Pokémon escapes, the host player may restart the game before it autosaves and reattempt the Max Raid.

Gigantamax Catch rate
Host Guest Wild Area News
No 255 Species' Species'
Yes 255 3 Unknown


Trainers

If less than four players initiate a Max Raid Battle, a random selection of these NPC Trainers will populate the vacant positions. The level of their Pokémon is set to 70% of the host player's Pokémon (rounded down), hence a maximum of Lv. 70 if the host player's Pokémon is Lv. 100.









































Special Max Raid Battles

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

In the climax of Pokémon Sword and Shield, as well as several times in the post-game story involving Sordward and Shielbert, the player will participate in Max Raid Battles required to progress the story. In these battles, the player will have access to their full party. Initially, the player will be paired with special NPC partners, but eventually, the player will be challenged to fight their opponents by themselves.

These plot-mandatory Max Raid Battles experience some differences compared to the Max Raid Battles available in the Wild Area. The battles are not limited to a 10-turn time limit, nor will they be forcibly ended after Pokémon have fainted 4 times. The player is also not limited to a single Pokémon, and may use their full party in the manner of a normal battle; fainted Pokémon will not automatically be revived, and the Cheer option is unavailable.

Tower summit

In this semi-scripted Max Raid Battle, the player and Hop will try to fight Eternatus in its Eternamax form, but will be unable to do anything against it until they summon Zacian and Zamazenta with the Rusted Sword and Shield they found in the Slumbering Weald. The player cannot Dynamax their Pokémon in this fight. After the battle, the player will catch Eternatus in a Poké Ball of their choice, with a 100% guaranteed success rate.

 
Types:
Poison Dragon
Ability:
Pressure
Held item:
  None  
Eternatus Lv.60
Cross Poison
Poison Physical
Dragon Pulse
Dragon Special
Flamethrower
Fire Special
Dynamax Cannon
Dragon Special

Sordward and Shielbert

While the player and Hop pursue Sordward and Shielbert, they force these Pokémon to Dynamax by in each Stadium in Galar. The player is tasked with defeating these Pokémon, which belong to Gym Trainers, to take them out of their frenzied state and restore safety to the area. Because these Pokémon belong to Trainers, the player does not have the opportunity to catch them.

The first Stadium attacked is Turffield's, then both Hulbury and Motostoke Stadiums. The player cooperates with Hop, Piers, and each Stadium's Gym Leader to resolve the crisis. After the player defeats all three and confronts the brothers in Wedgehurst, they'll cause more disruptions in the Stadiums in Stow-on-Side, Ballonlea, Circhester, and Hammerlocke. This time, multiple Dynamaxed Pokémon will attack each stadium, and the player and their friends will need split up to deal with one of them each, with the exception of Ballonlea Stadium, where they discover that Bede took care of them all by himself.

Turffield Stadium Hulbury Stadium Motostoke Stadium Stow-on-Side Stadium
Pokémon Sword
 
Type:
Grass Unknown
Ability:
Queenly Majesty
Held item:
  None  
Tsareena Lv.62
Dynamax
Power Whip
Grass Physical
High Jump Kick
Fighting Physical
Play Rough
Fairy Physical
Zen Headbutt
Psychic Physical
 
Types:
Water Flying
Ability:
Intimidate
Held item:
  None  
Gyarados Lv.62
Dynamax
Waterfall
Water Physical
Stone Edge
Rock Physical
Crunch
Dark Physical
Avalanche
Ice Physical
 
Type:
Fire Unknown
Ability:
Drought
Held item:
  None  
Torkoal Lv.62
Dynamax
Lava Plume
Fire Special
Earthquake
Ground Physical
Body Press
Fighting Physical
Iron Tail
Steel Physical
 
Type:
Fighting Unknown
Ability:
Unknown
Held item:
  None  
Conkeldurr Lv.62
Dynamax
Thunder Punch
Electric Physical
Ice Punch
Ice Physical
Hammer Arm
Fighting Physical
Stone Edge
Rock Physical
Stow-on-Side Stadium Circhester Stadium Hammerlocke Stadium
Pokémon Shield Pokémon Sword Pokémon Shield
 
Type:
Ghost Unknown
Ability:
Pressure
Held item:
  None  
Dusknoir Lv.62
Dynamax
Ice Punch
Ice Physical
Earthquake
Ground Physical
Thunder Punch
Electric Physical
Shadow Punch
Ghost Physical
 
Type:
Rock Unknown
Ability:
Sturdy
Held item:
  None  
Gigalith Lv.62
Dynamax
Rock Slide
Rock Physical
Earthquake
Ground Physical
Stone Edge
Rock Physical
Throat Chop
Dark Physical
 
Types:
Ice Ghost
Ability:
Unknown
Held item:
  None  
Froslass Lv.62
Dynamax
Icy Wind
Ice Special
Shadow Ball
Ghost Special
Thunder
Electric Special
Psychic
Psychic Special
 
Type:
Dragon Unknown
Ability:
Mold Breaker
Held item:
  None  
Haxorus Lv.62
Dynamax
Outrage
Dragon Physical
Earthquake
Ground Physical
Iron Tail
Steel Physical
Giga Impact
Normal Physical
Ally Trainers
Hop's Pokémon Piers's Pokémon
  If the player chose Grookey:   If the player chose Scorbunny:   If the player chose Sobble:








Milo's Pokémon Nessa's Pokémon Kabu's Pokémon
Pokémon Sword Pokémon Shield








Honeycalm Island

  This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Level

In The Isle of Armor storyline, after evolving Kubfu and completing the Sordward and Shielbert storyline, the player and Hop's search for an ingredient that will make Max Soup appetizing for Urshifu leads them to Honeycalm Island. Prompted to shake the giant tree in the center, the player is swept away into a Pokémon Den alone against a Dynamax Vespiquen. Defeating it yields the Max Honey neccessary for Urshifu's soup.

 
Types:
Bug Flying
Ability:
Pressure
Held item:
  None  
Vespiquen Lv.??
Dynamax
Acrobatics
Flying Physical
Reversal
Fighting Physical
Defend Order
Bug Status
Attack Order
Bug Physical

Wild Area News

Main article: Wild Area News

Wild Area News, accessed through the Mystery Gift menu in Sword and Shield, changes the available spawns in Max Raid Battles to make certain Pokémon more common for a limited time, including and especially Gigantamax Pokémon, which vary between the two game versions. Prior to The Isle of Armor, these events were the only way to obtain Gigantamax Snorlax and Gigantamax Toxtricity.

Any den can spawn a Max Raid Battle from Wild Area News, and dens that do so will always beam a red light, indicating the "common" pool.

Currently active Wild Area News (June 17 to June 28, 2020)

The following is the encounter data for the currently running Wild Area News. For information regarding past Wild Area News events, please see the main Wild Area News page.

To promote the release of The Isle of Armor, uncatchable Zeraora are currently appearing in 3★-5★ raids. In 5★ raids, some Zeraora will also be Shiny and more difficult to defeat. This represents Shiny Zeraora's first appearance. As an additional promotion, if at least 1 million players defeat Zeraora before the event ends, a Shiny Zeraora will be distributed via Pokémon HOME, and for every 100,000 players after that, each player will recieve a piece of Armorite Ore.[1]. On June 23, the offical Japanese Pokémon Twitter account announced that the milestone for the Shiny Zeraora had been met.[2]

Pokémon Games Location Levels Rate
Sw Sh 17 100%
★★
Sw Sh 30 100%
Sw Sh 30 100%
★★★
Sw Sh 40 20%
Sw Sh 40 40%
Sw Sh 40 20%
Sw Sh 40 20%
Sw Sh 40 20%
Sw Sh 40 20%
Sw Sh 40 20%
★★★★
Sw Sh 50 10%
Sw Sh 50 10%
Sw Sh 50 10%
Sw Sh 50 40%
Sw Sh 50 20%
Sw Sh 50 20%
Sw Sh 50 20%
Sw Sh 50 20%
Sw Sh 50 10%
★★★★★
Sw Sh 60 10%
Sw Sh 60 10%
Sw Sh 60 15%
Sw Sh 60 10%
Sw Sh 60 35%
Sw Sh 100 5%
Sw Sh 60 15%
Sw Sh 60 15%
Sw Sh 60 15%
Sw Sh 60 10%
Sw Sh 60 10%
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.


In the manga

 
A Max Raid Battle in Pokémon Adventures

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

In the Sword & Shield arc, Sōdo and Shirudomiria forced a pair of Team Yell Grunts into a Max Raid Battle with them against a Dynamax Gurdurr. After defeating it, Sōdo was able to catch it, adding it to his party and nicknaming it Tekkotsun.

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 極巨團體戰 Gihkgeuih Tyùhntái Jin
Mandarin 極巨團體戰 / 极巨团体战 Jíjù Tuántǐ Zhàn
  French Raid Dynamax
  German Dyna-Raid
  Italian Raid Dynamax
  Korean 맥스 레이드배틀 Max Raid Battle
  Russian Максирейд Maksireyd
  Spanish Incursión Dinamax

See also


Pokémon battle variations
Double BattleMulti BattleTriple BattleRotation BattleHorde EncounterSOS BattleSupport PlayMax Raid BattleFull Battle
Contest BattleLauncher BattleSky BattleInverse BattleBattle RoyalDynamax AdventureAuto BattleTera Raid Battle
Battle modes


  This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.