How to Catch Articuno in ‘Pokémon Go’: Weaknesses and strategies for beating it in a legendary raid

Now that Pokémon Go legendary raids have come into play, your best bet is to get out there and catch a rare bird. Missing from the Pokémon Go legendaries roster are fan favorites like Mewtwo and Celebi, but Lugia and Articuno are finally up for grabs.

Catching the first of Pokémon Red and Blue’s legendary bird trio isn’t difficult, but it will require some work on your end. Here’s everything you need to know to catch Articuno in Pokémon Go.

Pokémon Go Articuno Legendary Raid: Where are all the five-star raids?

You can’t take part in the raid if you can’t find one in the first place. Since the Chicago event, Articuno and Lugia have been much more prevalent than before, though you may still be having trouble locating one. Try going to a more densely populated area like a nearby city if you can’t spot one.

We spotted the above Articuno, for example, in Manhattan, New York. Whereas in the outer boroughs of New York we had less luck.

Also take note of the time of day. If you’re raid-scouting and having little luck, you’re probably out too early or too late in the day.

How to Catch Articuno in Pokémon Go: Weaknesses explained

Articuno raids are five-star level, meaning beating it won’t be easy. When facing off against the legendary bird you’ll want to fight alongside as many fellow Pokémon Go players as possible.

Articuno is weak to electric, fire and steel types, but doubly weak to rock. Meaning if you have a Tyranitar, Golem or another Pokémon with strong rock-type moves you should be ready to use them. Fiery Pokémon like Charizard and Flareon, or shockers like Magneton or Electabuzz work well too. If you have a Scizor or Steelix, now’s their time to shine.

How to Catch Articuno in Pokémon Go: Other strategies

Make sure you contribute a lot to the battle, as this will partly determine how many Premier Balls you’re able to use when it comes to Articuno-catching time.

Golden Razz Berries are your friend here, as are perfect throws. You may want to skip the curve ball fanciness if you’re not feeling confident in your throw.

As we mentioned in our Lugia strategy article, catch bonus has an effect on how well you do in catching Articuno. Warm up before the raid by catching tons of flying and ice types. Hope you stocked up on Pokémon during the Fire and Ice event.

Check out more Pokémon Go news and coverage

Raids are here! See how to locate the best ones and why they may be the key to legendary Pokémon. Find out how to determine how long it will take you to reach level 40, and see what we think of the Gen 2 Pokémon added to the game. Here are the kinds of Pokémon you get from 10-kilometer eggs, and here’s where you can check out what you missed during the Water Festival and Solstice events. Find out more about the upcoming Chicago event and why you’ll probably be able to catch Unown while you’re there — if you’re not busy searching for rare evolutionary items, that is.