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Mega Houndoom is the top general-purpose Dark-move raid attacker in the rankings reviewed on October 7, 2026, but Mega Tyranitar lasts longer, while Shadow Darkrai and Shadow Hydreigon offer high damage at the cost of greater fragility or move-access caveats. The right choice depends on the raid boss, your available moves, and whether you value damage per second or damage before fainting. These are raid recommendations, not a PvP ranking.
Which Dark attacker should you choose?
Use this as a starting point rather than a fixed counter list. Simulator rankings aggregate matchups and make assumptions; a raid boss’s weaknesses and your team can change which Pokémon performs best.
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| Priority | Candidate and moves | Why it fits | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top default ranking | Mega Houndoom — Snarl / Dark Pulse+ | Dittobase places it first in its default setup; Pokémon GO Hub and Pokebattler also rank it among the leading Dark-move attackers. | The plus-marked Dark Pulse is a special move. Confirm its availability for your Pokémon in-game before spending resources. |
| More staying power from a Mega | Mega Tyranitar — Bite / Brutal Swing | It ranks highly across the reviewed lists. In Dittobase’s baseline, it has higher TDO than Mega Houndoom. | Its lower eDPS than Houndoom in that same baseline means the choice is a damage-versus-longevity trade-off. |
| High-output Shadow | Shadow Darkrai — Snarl / Foul Play | It is near the top of the reviewed rankings and provides a strong damage option. | Shadow Pokémon take more incoming damage, so it may faint sooner and require more relobbying. |
| Non-legendary, non-Ultra Beast option | Hydreigon — Bite / Brutal Swing | Dittobase identifies it as a quick pick for this category; official raid advice also names Hydreigon in relevant matchups. | Brutal Swing is marked as a special move in Pokémon GO Hub’s list. Verify current access and any Elite TM requirement in-game. |
What the ranking numbers mean
Dittobase’s ranking page, labeled updated October 6, 2026, uses Level 40 Pokémon with 15/15/15 IVs and no weather, friendship, or Party Power bonuses. Its reported results are simulation outputs, not live gameplay measurements.
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|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Houndoom | 30.54 | 736.1 | Highest eDPS among these entries in Dittobase’s stated baseline. |
| Mega Tyranitar | 27.39 | 900.4 | Lower eDPS but higher TDO than Mega Houndoom in the same baseline. |
| Shadow Darkrai | 27.35 | 509.9 | Near the leaders in eDPS, with substantially lower TDO in this simulation. |
Dittobase defines DPS as sustained damage rate while accounting for energy generation and charged-move animation time. TDO is the damage dealt before fainting. Its eDPS score factors in relobby downtime and assumes a 10-second relobby by default. That helps explain why a high damage rate does not automatically make a Pokémon the most practical choice for a full team.
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The rankings do not produce identical orders: Pokémon GO Hub places Mega Houndoom first, Shadow Darkrai second, and Mega Tyranitar third in the configuration reviewed; Pokebattler also includes both Mega Pokémon among its leading Dark-move attackers. Because the sites use different scoring methods and matchup aggregation, compare a site’s rankings within its own method rather than treating rank numbers as directly interchangeable.
Why Mega Tyranitar can be the better practical pick
If you want a Mega attacker that can deal damage for longer before fainting, Mega Tyranitar deserves consideration alongside Houndoom. In Dittobase’s 2026 baseline, Tyranitar’s TDO is 900.4 versus Houndoom’s 736.1, while its eDPS is 27.39 versus 30.54. Those values describe one simulator setup, but they make the trade-off clear: Houndoom leads on effective damage rate; Tyranitar lasts longer in that model.
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What to know about Shadow attackers
Shadow Darkrai and Shadow Hydreigon are worthwhile high-output choices, but their damage advantage comes with a durability cost. Dittobase describes Shadow Pokémon as having 20% more attack and 20% more incoming damage, with defense reduced to 5/6 of the normal value. The practical effect is that a Shadow may faint sooner, which can mean more relobbying and less damage across an extended raid attempt.
Do not treat the Shadow modifier as a guarantee that a particular Shadow wins every matchup. The ranking is still dependent on the simulator’s boss pool, moves, and settings; check the boss-specific matchup and consider the rest of your team.
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When Dark attacks are useful—and when to check the boss
Dark attacks are useful against relevant Psychic- and Ghost-type raid opponents. The Pokémon Company’s raid advice for Deoxys and Cresselia recommends Bug-, Ghost-, or Dark-type attacks among the useful options and names Tyranitar and Hydreigon. Its Dawn Wings Necrozma advice also lists Tyranitar and Hydreigon as Dark-type choices. These examples illustrate matchups; they are not a complete or live counter list for every raid.
Some ranking entries can be Pokémon that are not themselves Dark-type but use Dark-type attacks. A list of Dark attackers is therefore not necessarily a list of Pokémon whose native typing includes Dark. Check the attack type and the raid matchup, not only the Pokémon’s type label.
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Check move availability before investing
A ranked moveset is only useful if you can give that Pokémon the listed moves. Special or legacy moves may require an event or an Elite TM, and availability can change. Pokémon GO Hub marks some charged moves with an asterisk; the Pokémon Company’s Dawn Wings Necrozma raid advice cautions that an Elite Fast TM or Elite Charged TM is typically required for certain listed attacks. Confirm the specific move’s current in-game availability before using a TM or investing Stardust and Candy.
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How to use a ranking for your raid team
- Start with the boss’s weakness. Use Dark attackers when Dark is a relevant counter type for that raid, rather than relying on a general ranking for every opponent.
- Choose your priority. Pick Mega Houndoom for the leading default eDPS result, Mega Tyranitar if the higher modeled TDO suits your team, or a Shadow option when you can accept its lower durability.
- Verify the moves. Check that the recommended fast and charged attacks are currently available to your Pokémon, including any special-move requirements.
- Account for your roster. A Pokémon that survives longer may reduce relobby pressure; a high-output pick can be attractive when your team can sustain the damage. Use the raid’s conditions and your available counters to decide.
- Recheck live rankings when needed. Rankings can shift with game balance, move availability, raid formats, and simulator assumptions. The figures above are tied to the settings and date stated, not a permanent ordering.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
