TL;DR
- Tapu Bulu appears in 5-star raids April 12-26 with guaranteed appearances during Wednesday Raid Hours
- Poison-type attackers deal 256% bonus damage due to dual Grass/Fairy weaknesses
- Fire, Flying, Ice, and Steel types provide excellent secondary counter options
- Avoid using Dragon, Fighting, Ground, and Dark types which are heavily resisted
- Team coordination and proper move timing significantly increase capture success rates
Prepare for the arrival of Alola’s third legendary guardian in Pokemon Go’s five-star raid rotation. This powerful Grass/Fairy type presents both challenges and opportunities for dedicated trainers.
Tapu Bulu will be the featured five-star raid April 12-26, with two special Raid Hours planned during that time.
Niantic’s April raid schedule introduces Tapu Bulu as the featured legendary encounter starting April 12th. As the third Alolan island guardian to join Pokemon Go, this Land Spirit Pokemon brings unique strategic considerations to raid battles.
The official raid window spans from 10:00 AM local time on April 12th through 8:00 PM local time on April 26th. Unlike standard Pokemon encounters, raid bosses don’t follow predictable spawn patterns, requiring trainers to actively monitor nearby gyms for appearance opportunities.
For guaranteed access, prioritize the weekly Raid Hour events scheduled for April 13th and 20th from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM local time. During these dedicated hours, Tapu Bulu will appear at nearly every active gym, making it the optimal time to coordinate with fellow trainers. These Wednesday evening sessions provide the highest probability of successful captures while minimizing resource expenditure.
Understanding Tapu Bulu’s dual Grass/Fairy typing is crucial for assembling an effective counter team. This rare type combination creates specific vulnerability patterns that skilled trainers can exploit.
Poison-type attacks represent the most devastating option, dealing 256% increased damage due to super-effective hits against both types. Elite poison specialists include Roserade with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb, Toxicroak utilizing Poison Jab and Dynamic Punch for coverage, and Victreebel employing Acid and Sludge Bomb. These Pokemon can rapidly deplete Tapu Bulu’s health bar when properly powered up.
Secondary effective types include Fire, Flying, Ice, and Steel, each dealing 160% normal damage. Top performers include Mega Charizard Y with Fire Spin and Blast Burn, Moltres using Wing Attack and Sky Attack, Mamoswine with Powder Snow and Avalanche, and Metagross employing Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash. For comprehensive team building strategies, consult our Weapons Unlock guide for optimal move set configurations.
Strategic team composition should prioritize poison types for maximum damage output, supplemented by fire and flying types for balanced coverage. Ensure your team reaches at least level 30 with optimal IV spreads to maximize survival time while maintaining offensive pressure.
Certain type matchups prove disastrous against Tapu Bulu and should be avoided entirely. Dragon-type attacks suffer 39% reduced effectiveness due to Fairy resistance, making popular dragons like Dragonite and Salamence poor choices despite their general power.
Additional ineffective types include Fighting, Ground, and Dark, which face significant resistance penalties. These matchups extend battle duration unnecessarily while increasing revival item consumption.
Common raid mistakes include underestimating Tapu Bulu’s damage output with moves like Grass Knot and Dazzling Gleam. Trainers frequently make the error of bringing water or electric types, which face neutral effectiveness but lack the offensive advantage needed for efficient clears. For advanced class selection strategies that complement your raid performance, explore our Class Guide for synergistic team building approaches.
Advanced combat tactics involve timing charged moves to avoid Tapu Bulu’s own charged attacks, preserving your team’s durability. Coordinate with other trainers to ensure type coverage diversity while maximizing damage bonuses through friendship attacks. Proper execution of these strategies typically results in capture success rates exceeding 85% with golden razz berry usage.
Action Checklist
- Assemble team of 6 poison-type attackers with optimal move sets
- Coordinate raid group for April 13th or 20th Raid Hour events
- Power up counters to level 30+ with focus on poison and fire types
- Stock up on golden razz berries and premium battle passes
- Practice dodging charged attacks to maximize team survival
No reproduction without permission:SeeYouSoon Game Club » Pokemon Go Tapu Bulu Raid Guide: Best Counters, Weaknesses, Raid Hours, And More Tips Master Tapu Bulu raids with optimal counters, timing strategies, and team composition tactics for guaranteed success
