Finally — Legendary Pokémon have made their way to Pokémon GO, much to the rousing delight of many players who have long requested for these creatures to hit the wildly popular mobile game from Niantic.
Both Articuno and Lugia will now pop up. Another Legendary Pokémon, the multicolored Ho-Oh, is expected in the future. The other two Legendary birds, Moltres and Zapdos, will also hit the game on some unannounced date.
But after Lugia and Articuno's arrival, players discovered that both seem quite difficult to beat and capture, owing partly to Niantic's design and also partly to network issues on the developers' end. So if you're like many who have turned to the internet for tips on how to catch both Pokémon, here's how.
Pokémon GO: How To Catch Lugia
• Finding the Raid: To catch Lugia, you'll need to find a Legendary Raid. Finding one is pretty much similar to how you'd find a normal Raid. Five little Rhydon icons represent the Raids you're interested in, and you'll most probably encounter a Lugia or Articuno if you see one of those eggs.
Gyms nearby may be checked, or some players can turn to third-party Pokémon GO tracking tools for a little bit of help. If you manage to find the Raid, spend a standard pass to go in.
Chances are there are many players crowding Reddit, Discord, or other online communities looking for other trainers who can organize Raids, so perform a quick search before heading out to catch a Lugia or Articuno. Once inside a Legendary Raid battle, you'll have more time to defeat the Legendary Pokémon, so make sure your damage output is as high as possible.
• Fighting Tips: A Legendary Raid is very much like a normal one, except supremely more difficult. You'd want to put your best Pokémon forward if you want any ounce of chance to successfully face up either Articuno and Lugia.
Based on data from The Silph Road and PokéBattler, here are some of the top Pokémon to face Lugia or Articuno.
First up is Tyranitar — quite possibly the best all-around attacker for taking down most Legendaries. This monster's best moves are Bite, Stone Edge, or Crunch.
Golem is another Pokémon you'll want to have on your party because it's most effective on the Legendary birds. Its best moves are Rock Throw or Stone Edge.
Here are the top three best Pokémon to fight Lugia, along with their best move: Tyranitar with Bite or Stone Edge; Jolteon with Thunder Shock or Thunderbolt; and Golem with Rock Throw or Stone Edge.
Pokémon GO: How To Catch Articuno
Catching Articuno also involves the Raid and fighting tips already mentioned above. In terms of Pokémon suited to fight the Legendary bird, on the other hand, here are your best bets: Omastar with Rock Throw or Rock Slide; Tyranitar with Bite or Stone Edge; and Golem with Rock Throw or Stone Edge.
Pokémon GO: What Type Of Ball You Should Use
By design, there's only a 2 percent chance you'll catch one of the Legendary Pokémon, including Lugia and Articuno. Naturally, players are trying to find all the Premier Balls they can get.
Getting Premier Balls from Raids depend on several factors, but here's a new one players have discovered: you can actually get a "Damage Bonus" for your contribution to a Raid battle, which can give you more Premier Balls. Be sure not to faint during Raid battles, though!
Follow all the steps above and you'll capture an Articuno or Lugia in no time.
Thoughts? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
