How to Beat Team Galactic Boss Cyrus (Spear Pillar)

This guide covers everything you need to know to beat Team Galactic Boss Cyrus at the Spear Pillar in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Read on to learn about Cyrus' Pokemon team on your second encounter, Cyrus' type specialty, recommended Pokemon to use against Cyrus.

Cyrus Second Encounter

Type and Suggested Level

Type Specialty
Suggested Level	Lv. 55 ~ Lv. 60

Cyrus' Pokemon

Pokemon	Type	Ability / Item	Moves
Honchkrow (Lvl. 45)		Super Luck Scope Lens	・Air Cutter ・Night Slash ・Steel Wing ・Defog
Crobat (Lvl. 46)		Infiltrator Quick Claw	・Cross Poison ・Tailwind ・Air Cutter ・U-turn
Gyarados (Lvl. 45)		Intimidate Wacan Berry	・Ice Fang ・Waterfall ・Crunch ・Earthquake
Weavile (Lvl. 48)		Pickpocket Chople Berry	・Metal Claw ・Fling ・Dig ・Aerial Ace

How to Beat Cyrus

Take Advantage of Cyrus' Pokemon's Secondary Typing

While most of Cyrus' Pokemon have a Dark typing, they also have secondary typings that your team can take advantage of. Having party members with Electric and Steel type attacks should prove useful in your battles against Cyrus.

Have an Electric-type on Your Team

A reliable Electric-type Pokemon should make quick work of most of Cyrus' team. Luxray, although it might not outspeed some of Cyrus' Pokemon, can hit most of them for super-effective damage.

Beware Cyrus' Pokemon's Ground-type Moves

Cyrus' Gyarados will comfortably take a super-effective Electric type move thanks to its Wacan Berry. It can also threaten our Electric-types with a powerful Earthquake. If our Luxray does not make it this long into the battle, consider 2HKO-ing Gyarados with Floatzel's Crunch provided its damage output isn't reduced by Gyarados' Intimidate.

Weavile has access to Dig which may also threaten our Electric-type Pokemon. Even though it is holding a Chople Berry attacking into Weavile with a Fighting-type move is a decent option because of its frail defenses. You may also consider using a Steel-type move to OHKO it.

Best Team to Beat Cyrus

When Starting with Turtwig

Best Team to Beat Cyrus Starting With Turtwig
Luxray	Floatzel	Staraptor

Our starter may not make an appearance during this battle because of the abundance of moves that can hit our starter for weakness. Honchkrow and Crobat have Flying-type moves, while Gyarados has Ice Fang.

Have Luxray start the battle, then switch to Floatzel if Luxray gets taken out by Gyarados. Staraptor should be able to handle Weavile 1-on-1 because it lacks an Ice-type attack to hit Staraptor for super-effective damage, while Staraptor can use Close Combat to pick up the knock out.

When Starting with Chimchar

Best Team to Beat Cyrus Starting With Chimchar
Luxray	Staraptor	Infernape

The starter we've chosen to bring with us is largely threatened by Cyrus' Pokemon's STAB moves. Honchkrow and Crobat have Flying-type moves, while Gyarados has Waterfall and Earthquake. Staraptor can Intimidate Gyarados and put it into range for a teammate to KO. However Ice Fang can do decent damage to Staraptor.

Infernape, however, matches up favorably against Cyrus' Weavile. So consider preserving Infernape until later in the battle.

When Starting with Piplup

Best Team to Beat Cyrus Starting With Piplup
Empoleon	Luxray	Staraptor

Empoleon should be able to tank hits from Cyrus' Flying-type Pokemon and it should be able to make quick work of them if Empoleon is sufficiently leveled and has access to powerful STAB moves.

This frees up our Luxray to go up against Cyrus' Gyarados. It should be able to 2HKO with an Electric-type move because Gyarados is equipped with a Wacan Berry. Staraptor should then be able to handle Weavile 1-on-1 because it lacks an Ice-type attack to hit Staraptor for super-effective damage, while Staraptor can use Close Combat to pick up the knock out.

All Cyrus Battles

Pokemon BDSP Related Guides

Complete Story Walkthrough

Main Story Walkthrough

Important Battles

Post Game Content

Post Game Content Guide