ERMAL ALIBALI

Hey there, Pokétrainers! Ready to dive deep into one of the most challenging Tier 5 raids currently available in Pokémon GO? Tapu Fini, the Water/Fairy guardian deity of Poni Island, has returned to raids with its signature move Nature’s Madness, and I’m here to share all my insights after successfully defeating it multiple times. Get your best Electric and Grass-type Pokémon ready as we explore how to conquer this mystical guardian!

What is Tapu Fini?

Before jumping into battle strategies, let’s appreciate this majestic legendary Pokémon. Tapu Fini is one of the four guardian deities (along with Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, and Tapu Bulu) that protect the islands of the Alola region. With its elegant design resembling a mermaid or siren inside a shell-like structure, Tapu Fini represents the balance of nature and protection of water.

In Pokémon lore, Tapu Fini is known for its ability to purify both body and soul with its sacred water. It’s said to live within a thick fog and only appears to those it deems worthy. In Pokémon GO, this translates to a challenging raid boss with a unique typing (Water/Fairy) that makes it a formidable opponent with specific weaknesses we can exploit.

What makes this current appearance special is that Tapu Fini now comes equipped with its signature move, Nature’s Madness, which in the main games reduces the opponent’s HP by half! In Pokémon GO, this has been adapted to be a powerful Fairy-type charged move that can catch many trainers off guard.

Can You Solo Tapu Fini?

I know many of you are wondering if you can take down this legendary on your own, especially if you’re in areas with fewer active players. After multiple attempts with different teams, I can definitively say: No, Tapu Fini cannot be soloed.

With a raid boss CP of approximately 53,000 and a massive defense stat, Tapu Fini requires a coordinated effort. Based on my experience, you’ll need:

• Minimum: 3-4 high-level trainers (40+) with optimized counters
• Comfortable: 5-6 trainers with decent counters
• Easy victory: 7+ trainers

For my successful raids, I teamed up with 4 other level 45+ trainers, all using top counters, and we defeated it with about 40 seconds remaining – so it was close!

Preparing for Battle

Understanding Tapu Fini’s Weaknesses

Tapu Fini’s Water/Fairy typing gives it vulnerabilities that we can exploit:

• Double weakness: None
• Single weaknesses: Electric, Grass, and Poison

However, it’s important to note that Tapu Fini’s moveset can counter some of these types. For example, if it has Moonblast, your Poison types will suffer. If it has Ice Beam, your Grass types are in trouble.

Best Counters for Tapu Fini

After trying various combinations, here are the counters that worked best for me:

Top Electric-Type Counters:

1. Shadow Raikou with Thunder Shock and Wild Charge – Absolutely devastating damage output!
2. Shadow Electivire with Thunder Shock and Wild Charge – Nearly as good as Shadow Raikou
3. Shadow Zapdos with Thunder Shock and Thunderbolt – Great DPS and somewhat bulky
4. Mega Manectric with Thunder Fang and Wild Charge – Excellent damage plus Mega boost
5. Zekrom with Charge Beam and Fusion Bolt – Great damage and bulk

Top Grass-Type Counters:

1. Shadow Tangrowth with Vine Whip and Power Whip – Surprisingly effective!
2. Shadow Venusaur with Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant – Community Day move makes a huge difference
3. Mega Venusaur with Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant – Great damage plus Mega boost
4. Kartana with Razor Leaf and Leaf Blade – Ultra Beast with immense attack stat
5. Zarude with Vine Whip and Power Whip – Mythical with good stats and moves

Top Poison-Type Counters:

1. Mega Gengar with Hex and Sludge Bomb – High risk, high reward
2. Shadow Roserade with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb – Excellent DPS
3. Nihilego with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb – Ultra Beast with relevant typing

My Personal MVP Team

After several raids, my most successful team consisted of:

1. Shadow Raikou (Level 50, 15/15/15 IVs)
2. Mega Manectric (Level 40, 15/14/15 IVs)
3. Shadow Electivire (Level 45, 15/13/12 IVs)
4. Shadow Magnezone (Level 45, 15/14/13 IVs)
5. Zekrom (Level 40, 15/15/14 IVs)
6. Shadow Tangrowth (Level 40, 15/12/14 IVs)

I found that focusing on Electric types worked best for me, as they weren’t vulnerable to any of Tapu Fini’s potential moves. However, having a strong Grass type as backup was crucial when my Electric team fainted.

Understanding Tapu Fini’s Movesets

Tapu Fini can have the following fast moves:

• Water Gun (Water)
• Hidden Power (Various types, unpredictable)

And these charged moves:

• Surf (Water)
• Ice Beam (Ice) – Watch out, Grass types!
• Moonblast (Fairy) – Devastating against Poison types
• Nature’s Madness (Fairy) – Its signature move, very powerful!

The most challenging combination I faced was Hidden Power (Ground) + Ice Beam, which threatened both my Electric and Grass counters. Be prepared to adapt your strategy based on which moves you encounter!

The Battle Strategy

Phase 1: Opening Strong

My strategy always starts with my strongest counter – Shadow Raikou. The goal in the first phase is to deal as much damage as possible before Tapu Fini uses its first charged move. I focus on:

1. Immediate damage: Start attacking the moment the battle begins, don’t waste time
2. Dodge the first charged move: I watch carefully for Tapu Fini’s animation telegraph to dodge its first special attack
3. Use my charged move after dodging: This maximizes my damage output while minimizing damage taken

Phase 2: The Mega Boost

Once my Shadow Raikou has used 2-3 Wild Charges (or fainted), I switch to Mega Manectric. This serves two purposes:

1. Provides a Mega boost to all my other Electric types
2. Continues dealing significant damage with Wild Charge

In group raids, I coordinate with others to ensure we have different Mega Pokémon active at different times, extending the Mega boost throughout the battle.

Phase 3: The Final Push

When approximately 25% of Tapu Fini’s health remains, it tends to use charged moves more frequently. During this phase:

1. I focus more on dodging charged moves than maximizing DPS
2. I’m not afraid to swap Pokémon if one is low on health
3. If all my Electric types faint, I bring in my Shadow Tangrowth as a final stand

Catching Tapu Fini

After defeating this majestic legendary, the real challenge begins – catching it! Here’s my approach that has given me a successful catch rate of about 85%:

Setting the Circle

The “set circle” technique is crucial for consistently landing excellent throws:

1. Hold down on the Premier Ball until the catch circle shrinks to excellent size
2. Release the screen (don’t throw) when the circle is at your preferred size
3. Wait for Tapu Fini to attack
4. During its attack animation, spin your ball and throw it
5. Time your throw so the ball hits just as the attack animation ends

With practice, this technique becomes second nature and dramatically increases your chances.

Golden Razz Berry Strategy

I always use Golden Razz Berries for legendary raids, but there’s a strategy to it:

1. Use a Golden Razz on your first 5 throws
2. If not caught, try a Silver Pinap Berry for 2-3 throws (for extra candy if caught)
3. Go back to Golden Razz for remaining throws

Curveball + Excellent + Golden Razz + Platinum Medal

The combination of a curveball, excellent throw, Golden Razz Berry, and Platinum medals for both Water and Fairy types gives approximately a 15-18% catch chance per ball. With 14-18 Premier Balls (depending on factors like gym control and friend damage), your overall chances of catching Tapu Fini are excellent if you’re consistent with your throws.

Is Tapu Fini Worth Powering Up?

Now for the big question: After catching Tapu Fini, should you invest resources in powering it up? Here’s my analysis:

For PvE (Raids and Gym Battles)

As a Water-type attacker, Tapu Fini unfortunately falls short compared to powerhouses like Kyogre, Mega Swampert, and even Kingler. Its attack stat (189) isn’t high enough to make it a top-tier raid attacker.

As a Fairy-type attacker, it’s similarly outclassed by Togekiss, Gardevoir, and Xerneas. The addition of Nature’s Madness helps but doesn’t push it into the top tier.

Verdict for PvE: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5) – There are better options for both its types.

For PvP (GO Battle League)

This is where Tapu Fini truly shines! With its bulk and typing, it’s become a meta-relevant pick in the Master League. Tapu Fini with Water Gun + Surf and Nature’s Madness provides:

• Great coverage against Fire, Ground, and Rock types
• Resistance to Dragon attacks (common in Master League)
• The ability to hit hard with Nature’s Madness against nearly any opponent

Verdict for PvP: ★★★★☆ (4/5) – Definitely worth powering up for Master League!

For Collection

Tapu Fini with Nature’s Madness is making its first appearance in this form, making it a valuable collector’s item. Additionally, if you’re working on your Alola Pokédex completion, this is a must-have.

Verdict for Collection: ★★★★★ (5/5) – A unique legendary with its signature move!

Special Event Bonuses

During the current Tapu Fini raid period, there are several bonuses you should take advantage of:

1. Double Catch XP – Great for leveling up!
2. Increased Water-type spawns in the wild
3. Water-themed field research at PokéStops

I recommend planning your raiding sessions during this weekend to maximize your chances of finding raids and coordinating with other trainers.

My Personal Tapu Fini Collection

After 17 Tapu Fini raids, my results have been:

• 14 catches (82% catch rate)
• Best IV: 98% (15/15/14)
• 1 Shiny (with rather poor IVs of 13/10/11, but still a trophy!)

I’ve powered up my 98% Tapu Fini to level 40 for Master League and have been very satisfied with its performance, particularly against the common Dragon types.