Blacephalon
FireGhost
Best attacking moveset: Astonish and Mind Blown, worth 20.2 damage per second against a neutral target.
Best moveset
Blacephalon can learn 8 combinations. Astonish with Mind Blown does the most damage per second of them, at level 40 with a perfect attack stat. Same-type moves get the 1.2× bonus, and the cycle assumes the charged attack fires the moment it has the energy.
That set is legacy. Mind Blown is only obtainable with an Elite TM or from the event that gave it out, so the Blacephalon you catch today cannot learn it. The best set it can learn now is Incinerate and Overheat, worth 17.4 damage per second.
Stats and moves come straight from the game's own data files. Every number on this page is a raid and gym number, not a PvP one.
Type matchups
| Fast attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astonish | Ghost | 7 | 1.0s | +13 |
| Incinerate | Fire | 32 | 2.5s | +22 |
| Charged attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mystical Fire | Fire | 60 | 2.0s | -33 |
| Overheat | Fire | 160 | 4.0s | -100 |
| Shadow Ball | Ghost | 100 | 3.0s | -50 |
| Mind Blown Legacy | Fire | 130 | 4.0s | -33 |
Shiny
Yes. Shiny Blacephalon has been released. Players have found it from: wild, research, photobomb.
Numbers
| Max CP | 3,727 at level 50, 3,297 at level 40 |
|---|---|
| Raid catch | 1,884 CP at level 20, or 2,355 if weather boosted (perfect IVs) |
| Lowest possible raid catch | 1,797 CP. Raid encounters can't roll below 10/10/10 |
| Base stats | 315 attack · 148 defense · 142 stamina |
What it costs
| Second charged move | 100,000 Stardust and 100 Candy |
|---|---|
| Buddy distance | 20 km per Candy |
| Size | 1.8 m and 13 kg |
Best moveset against each type
Blacephalon does not have one best moveset, it has 3. Which one wins depends on what you are attacking, because a move only gets its bonus against something weak to it. Best against Bug, Steel, Grass.
| Against | Best moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|
| Bug | Incinerate + Mind Blown | 32.1 |
| Steel | Incinerate + Mind Blown | 32.1 |
| Grass | Incinerate + Mind Blown | 32.1 |
| Ice | Incinerate + Mind Blown | 32.1 |
| Ghost | Astonish + Shadow Ball | 26.1 |
| Psychic | Astonish + Shadow Ball | 26.1 |
| Fighting | Astonish + Mind Blown | 20.2 |
| Astonish + Mind Blown | 20.2 | |
| Poison | Astonish + Mind Blown | 20.2 |
| Ground | Astonish + Mind Blown | 20.2 |
| Electric | Astonish + Mind Blown | 20.2 |
| Fairy | Astonish + Mind Blown | 20.2 |
| Normal | Incinerate + Mind Blown | 20.1 |
| Dark | Incinerate + Mind Blown | 20.1 |
| Rock | Astonish + Shadow Ball | 16.6 |
| Fire | Astonish + Shadow Ball | 16.6 |
| Water | Astonish + Shadow Ball | 16.6 |
| Dragon | Astonish + Shadow Ball | 16.6 |
Same maths as the headline number, run once per defending type: level 40, perfect attack IV, and the target's own type taken into account. Sorted by damage, so the top of this table is what Blacephalon is actually for.
Counters: what beats Blacephalon
| Attacker | Type | Moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 Blacephalon | FireGhost | Astonish + Shadow Ball | 36.0 |
 Inteleon | Water | Water Gun + Hydro Cannon Legacy | 32.6 |
 Kyogre | Water | Waterfall + Origin Pulse Legacy | 32.5 |
 Darkrai | Dark | Snarl + Shadow Ball | 32.4 |
 Chandelure | GhostFire | Hex + Shadow Ball | 32.2 |
 Gengar | GhostPoison | Lick + Shadow Ball Legacy | 32.1 |
 Glimmora | RockPoison | Rock Throw + Meteor Beam | 32.1 |
 Groudon | Ground | Mud Shot + Precipice Blades Legacy | 31.9 |
 Rampardos | Rock | Smack Down + Rock Slide | 31.8 |
 Absol | Dark | Snarl + Brutal Swing Legacy | 31.5 |
Ranked by damage per second against Blacephalon's own defense, at level 40 with a 15 attack IV, one per evolution family.