Dynamax Beldum Max Monday: Counters, Particle Costs, and the Metagross Candy Plan
August 9, 2026 · David · 6 min read
Beldum headlines Max Monday on August 10. Here's the Tier 3 particle cost, best counters, and the exact candy math to walk away with a Max Battle ready Metagross.
Beldum headlines Max Monday on August 10, and it's not just a cute Steel/Psychic cube to snap a photo of. This is the cheapest, easiest window all year to walk away with a fully evolved Metagross, and the candy math is more forgiving than people assume. Here's the actual particle cost, who to bring, and what the evolution line costs you.
If you're stacking a trade around whatever you pull from this event, the live trade feed is the fastest way to see what other trainers want for a lucky Metagross or a stack of spare Beldum candy.
Max Monday schedule, August 2026
Max Mondays run weekly, 6 AM to 9 PM local time, with extra Power Spots active and faster refreshes than a normal day.
| Week | Featured Dynamax | Shiny available |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 3 to 9 | Magmar | Yes |
| Aug 10 to 16 | Beldum | Yes |
| Aug 17 to 23 | Magikarp | Yes |
| Aug 24 to 30 | Hitmontop | Yes |
| Aug 31 to Sep 6 | Eevee | Yes |
Beldum's own spotlight is the single Monday, August 10, from 6 AM to 9 PM local. It'll be the primary Pokémon spawning at every active Power Spot that day.
The Max Battle itself
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Tier | 3 Star Max Battle |
| Entry cost | 400 Max Particles |
| Type | Steel / Psychic |
| Weak to | Fire, Ghost, Dark, Ground |
| Soloable | Yes |
| Shiny | Available |
| Reward | 1 Rare Candy XL per in-person Max Battle win |
Particles only get spent if you actually win, so a failed pull doesn't burn your stash. Tier 3 is on the easier end of the Max Battle scale (1-star battles run 250 MP, six-star Gigantamax fights run 800 MP per attempt), and Beldum's low bulk means most trainers can solo it without a group.
Best attackers to bring
Whatever Pokémon you queue up gets temporarily Dynamaxed for the fight, so you don't need a Dynamax or Gigantamax copy sitting in your box already. Lean into the four weaknesses:
| Attacker | Type edge | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gengar (Gigantamax if you have it) | Ghost | The single best pick if you've got the G-Max form |
| Shadow Chandelure | Fire / Ghost | Hits both weaknesses at once |
| Shadow Hydreigon | Dark | High TDO, easy to solo with |
| Shadow Tyranitar | Dark | Widely available, still hits hard |
| Shadow Excadrill | Ground | Good if your Fire/Ghost/Dark bench is thin |
| Charizard | Fire | Solid budget pick, Dynamaxes fine without being shadow |
Shadow versions hit harder than their normal counterparts, but Beldum's Tier 3 defense doesn't demand it. A level 30+ non-shadow attacker in any of these four types clears it without much drama.
The candy plan: Beldum to Metang to Metagross
| Evolution | Candy cost | Running total |
|---|---|---|
| Beldum → Metang | 25 | 25 |
| Metang → Metagross | 100 | 125 |
125 candy for one Metagross is steep for a Pokémon that isn't a normal wild spawn most days. Max Monday fixes the supply problem since every Power Spot near you is pumping out Beldum for 15 hours straight. A few ways to close the gap faster:
- Catch in bulk, transfer the overflow. Every Beldum you don't need for candy still gives 1 candy on transfer.
- Use Pinap Berries on any Beldum you're catching purely for candy, not IVs. Doubles the candy from that one catch.
- Set a Beldum as buddy for the walk to the event, or during it, for a trickle of extra candy alongside the catches.
- Trade for candy. Trading a duplicate Beldum with a friend converts into bonus candy on both ends depending on friendship level, on top of whatever you'd get from transferring it solo.
- Don't rush the Rare Candy XL. The event's win reward converts into any species' candy, so save it for whichever mon you're actually short on rather than dumping it into Beldum by default if you're already close.
Realistically, an afternoon of steady catching plus a couple of Rare Candy XL from Max Battle wins is enough to walk away with at least one full evolution, sometimes two if you're catching aggressively at multiple Power Spots.
What Metagross is actually good for once it's evolved
Metagross isn't just a shelf trophy. Its best moveset, Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash, makes it one of the strongest Steel-type attackers in the game for raids against Fairy, Ice, and Rock bosses. Meteor Mash is a Community Day or Elite Charged TM move, so if your Metagross only knows Meteor Mash from an older Community Day, that copy is worth protecting rather than trading away.
It's also one of the tougher Power Spot defenders once it's sitting in a Max Battle as a boss itself. If you ever run into a Dynamax Metagross Power Spot down the line, the same Fire, Ghost, Dark, and Ground counters from this guide still apply, just bring the heavier hitters (Reshiram, Garchomp, Darkrai-tier) since the boss form hits considerably harder than a Tier 3 Beldum does.
What to actually prioritize on August 10
- Hit as many Power Spots as you can between 6 AM and 9 PM, more spots means more Beldum and more win rewards
- Bring a Fire, Ghost, Dark, or Ground attacker so you're not stuck waiting on a group for a Tier 3 fight
- Pinap the catches you're keeping purely for candy
- Bank the Rare Candy XL if you're not actually close to 125 Beldum candy yet
- Check for shiny Beldum before you mass-transfer, it is available all day
Track it on PoGoPit
- Live trade feed for offloading spare candy walkers or lucky Metagross trades
- Events for what's live after Max Monday wraps
- Raids if you want to fill the rest of the day around the Max Battle grind
- Trade Calculator to check Stardust and candy costs before you commit to a trade
Schedule details credit Leek Duck and Pokémon GO Hub. PoGoPit is not affiliated with Niantic, Nintendo, or The Pokémon Company.