Moltres Pokémon GO Raid Battle Tips: Which Pokémon to use in a Moltres Raid, how to make the most of Premier Balls and Berries, and what to do with Moltres once you’ve caught it

Moltres is a Fire- and Flying-type Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region. There are stories of this Pokémon using its radiant, flame-cloaked wings to light up paths for those lost in the mountains. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Moltres, how to catch Moltres after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Flame Pokémon after you’ve caught it.

As a Fire- and Flying-type Pokémon, Moltres is vulnerable to Water-, Electric-, and especially Rock-type attacks. When selecting Pokémon for your Moltres 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 Water-, Electric-, or Rock-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 Water-, Electric-, or Rock-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 Moltres as quickly as you can.

• Mega Blastoise (Water)

  • Fast Attack: Water Gun (Water)

  • Charged Attack: Hydro Cannon (Water), Hydro Pump (Water)

• Mega Gyarados (Water/Dark)

  • Fast Attack: Waterfall (Water)

  • Charged Attack: Aqua Tail (Water), Hydro Pump (Water)

• Feraligatr (Water)

  • Fast Attack: Water Gun (Water), Waterfall (Water)

  • Charged Attack: Hydro Cannon (Water), Hydro Pump (Water)

• Shadow Swampert (Water/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Water Gun (Water)

  • Charged Attack: Hydro Cannon (Water), Muddy Water (Water), Surf (Water)

• Kyogre (Water)

  • Fast Attack: Waterfall (Water)

  • Charged Attack: Hydro Pump (Water), Surf (Water), Thunder (Electric)

• Zapdos (Electric/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Charge Beam (Electric), Thunder Shock (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Ancient Power (Rock), Thunder (Electric), Thunderbolt (Electric), Zap Cannon (Electric)

• Raikou (Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Thunder Shock (Electric), Volt Switch (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Thunderbolt (Electric), Wild Charge (Electric)

• Therian Forme Thundurus (Electric/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Thunder Shock (Electric), Volt Switch (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Thunder Punch (Electric), Thunderbolt (Electric)

• Zekrom (Dragon/Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Charge Beam (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Wild Charge (Electric)

• Alolan Golem (Rock/Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Rock Throw (Rock)

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

• Tyranitar (Rock/Dark)

  • Fast Attack: Smack Down (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Stone Edge (Rock)

• Rampardos (Rock)

  • Fast Attack: Smack Down (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Rock Slide (Rock)

• Rhyperior (Ground/Rock)

  • Fast Attack: Smack Down (Rock)

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

• Terrakion (Rock/Fighting)

  • Fast Attack: Smack Down (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Rock Slide (Rock)

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

In an encounter with Moltres, 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. 

Moltres 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 Moltres 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 Moltres. 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 Moltres, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Moltres Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Moltres 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, Moltres 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 a Fire- and Flying-type Pokémon, Moltres has a type advantage against Grass-, Ice-, Fighting-, Bug-, and Steel-type Pokémon and is resistant to Fire-, Grass-, Fighting-, Ground-, Bug-, Steel-, and Fairy-type attacks. For the most part, Moltres’s low bulk and vulnerability to Water-type attacks keep it from being effective in the GO Battle League—Water-type Pokémon like Swampert, Walrein, and Araquanid appear frequently in the Ultra League, and there are other Fire-type Pokémon that generally perform better in the Master League.

However, Moltres is highly effective in Raid Battles against Pokémon like Mega Venusaur, Mega Beedrill, Mega Steelix, Metagross, Registeel, Mega Abomasnow, and Tapu Bulu. Teaching Moltres a second Charged Attack is a fantastic way to diversify the types of Pokémon that Moltres can take on in raids, especially since its Fire- and Flying-type attacks benefit from a same-type attack bonus. Moltres’s incredible utility in raids makes powering it up a worthwhile investment of Stardust and Candy, so try to catch as many Moltres as possible to help 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.