Articuno Pokémon GO Raid Battle Strategy

Articuno is an Ice- and Flying-type Legendary
Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region. It’s said that this
Pokémon’s beautiful blue wings are made of ice. Articuno flies over snowy
mountains, its long tail fluttering along behind it. Learn which Pokémon will
be most effective in Raid Battles against Articuno, how to catch Articuno after
winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Freeze Pokémon after you’ve
caught it.

As an Ice- and Flying-type Pokémon, Articuno is vulnerable
to Fire-, Electric-, Rock-, and Steel-type attacks. When selecting Pokémon for
your Articuno Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that have a Fast
Attack and a Charged Attack of one of these types if you want to deal as much
damage as possible. It’s not necessary to choose only Fire-, Electric-, Rock-, or
Steel-type Pokémon, but a Pokémon that shares a type with these attacks will benefit
from a same-type attack bonus, which will allow these attacks to deal an
additional 20% damage.

If you have multiple Pokémon that know Fire-, Electric-, Rock-,
or Steel-type attacks, choose the Pokémon with the highest CP and best overall
stats. Remember that speed of victory affects how many Premier Balls you will
receive at the conclusion of a successful Raid Battle, so bring your strongest
Pokémon and defeat Articuno as quickly as you can.

• Omastar / Shadow Omastar (Rock/Water)

  • Fast Attack: Rock Throw (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Ancient Power (Rock), Rock Blast (Rock), Rock Slide (Rock)

• Aerodactyl / Mega Aerodactyl / Shadow Aerodactyl (Rock/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Rock Throw (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Ancient Power (Rock), Rock Slide (Rock)

• Tyranitar / Shadow Tyranitar (Rock/Dark)

• Rampardos (Rock)

  • Fast Attack: Smack Down (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Flamethrower (Fire), Rock Slide (Rock)

• Rhyperior (Ground/Rock)

  • Fast Attack: Smack Down (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Rock Wrecker (Rock), Stone Edge (Rock)

• Gigalith (Rock)

  • Fast Attack: Smack Down (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Heavy Slam (Steel), Rock Slide (Rock)

• Terrakion (Rock/Fighting)

• Tyrantrum (Rock/Dragon)

After a successful Articuno raid, you’ll have a limited
number of Premier Balls you can use to catch Articuno, so make each one count.
You can earn extra Premier Balls by battling with friends and defeating Articuno
more quickly.

In an encounter with Articuno, your chance of catching it is
greatest when the target ring is small enough for you to score Excellent Throws.
Throwing Curveballs
can improve your chances even more. But work within your abilities—if you don’t
think you can reliably make Excellent Curveball Throws, aim for Nice Throws or
Great Throws rather than risk missing the target ring completely.

Articuno isn’t going to make it easy on
you by sitting still while you’re trying to catch it. Don’t waste your
Premier Balls by throwing while it’s moving around. Watch Articuno to
get a feel for its cycle of movement and the pauses in between the cycles.
During one of these pauses, wait for the target ring to reappear, and then
throw as it starts to grow smaller to increase your odds of making a Great
Throw or an Excellent Throw.

Berries can help you catch Articuno. A
Razz Berry will make it easier to catch, and a Golden Razz Berry will make it
much easier to catch. If you find yourself failing to land any throws, a Nanab
Berry will calm Articuno, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to
make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Articuno Candy, using a
Silver Pinap Berry will make Articuno easier to catch and grant you extra Candy
when you catch it.

Buddy Pokémon with a
Buddy Level of Great Buddy or higher have the Catch Assist Perk. If a Pokémon—even
a Legendary Pokémon—deflects a Poké Ball, your buddy might bounce it back for a
second catch opportunity!

Like all Legendary Pokémon, Articuno is
tricky to catch, so don’t be discouraged if it escapes. Get a second wind by
stocking up on useful items—like Max Potions, Max Revives, and Golden Razz
Berries—and try again.

As an Ice- and Flying-type Pokémon, Articuno has a type
advantage against Grass-, Fighting-, Ground-, Flying-, Bug-, and Dragon-type
Pokémon and is resistant to Grass-, Ground-, and Bug-type attacks. In addition
to being useful in Raid Battles against Grass-, Ground-,
Flying-, and Dragon-type Pokémon, the Freeze Pokémon is a strong contender in
the GO Battle League, especially since being a Flying type counteracts its
Ice-type vulnerability to Fighting-type attacks. Articuno is a particularly
solid matchup against prominent Ultra League Pokémon like Swampert, Togekiss, Giratina,
and Cresselia.

When choosing a Fast Attack for Articuno, Frost Breath deals
slightly more damage per second, while Ice Shard generates slightly more energy
per second, though both benefit from a same-type attack bonus. When choosing Articuno’s
initial Charged Attack, an Ice-type attack is a solid choice. Out of your
available options, Icy Wind is noteworthy because it costs the least amount of energy
and decreases your opponent’s Attack power. If you’re aiming to bring Articuno to
the GO Battle League, you should increase its CP and teach it a second Charged
Attack. If Articuno’s first Charged Attack is Ice-type, it makes sense to
choose between the Rock-type Ancient Power and the Flying-type Hurricane. This
will require a significant amount of Articuno Candy and Stardust, so try to
catch as many Articuno as possible to get you there faster.

Good luck with your next Raid Battle, and remember to check Pokemon.com/Strategy for more Pokémon GO, video game, and Pokémon TCG tips.

Source: Pokemon