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.

Which Pokémon to Use in an Articuno Raid in Pokémon GO

As an Ice- and Flying-type Pokémon, Articuno is vulnerable to Fire-, Electric-, Rock-, and Steel-type attacks. Articuno is doubly weak to Rock-type attacks, meaning those attacks will be the most effective. 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 possible, choose Pokémon with both Rock-type Fast Attacks and Charged Attacks.

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.

• Charizard / Mega Charizard Y (Fire/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Ember (Fire)*, Fire Spin (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Blast Burn (Fire)*, Fire Blast (Fire), Flamethrower (Fire)*, Overheat (Fire)

• Blaziken / Mega Blaziken (Fire/Fighting)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Spin (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Blast Burn (Fire)*, Blaze Kick (Fire), Overheat (Fire), Stone Edge (Rock)*

• Zapdos (Electric/Flying)

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

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

• Raikou / Shadow Raikou (Electric)

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

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

• Manectric / Mega Manectric (Electric)

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

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

• Omastar / Shadow Omastar (Rock/Water)

  • Fast Attack: Rock Throw (Rock)*

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

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

  • Fast Attack: Rock Throw (Rock)

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

• Tyranitar / Shadow Tyranitar (Rock/Dark)

  • Fast Attack: Smack Down (Rock)*

  • Charged Attack: Stone Edge (Rock)

• Aggron / Shadow Aggron (Steel/Rock)

  • Fast Attack: Smack Down (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Meteor Beam (Rock), Rock Tomb (Rock), Stone Edge (Rock)

• 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: Meteor Beam (Rock)*, Rock Slide (Rock)

• Terrakion (Rock/Fighting)

  • Fast Attack: Smack Down (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Rock Slide (Rock)

• Tyrantrum (Rock/Dragon)

  • Fast Attack: Rock Throw (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Meteor Beam (Rock), Stone Edge (Rock)

• Aurorus (Rock/Ice)

  • Fast Attack: Rock Throw (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Ancient Power (Rock), Meteor Beam (Rock)

• Midday Form Lycanroc (Rock)

  • Fast Attack: Rock Throw (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Stone Edge (Rock)

* An Elite Fast TM or an Elite Charged TM is typically required to teach this Pokémon this attack.

Make the Most of Premier Balls and Berries

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.

What To Do with Articuno Once You’ve Caught It

As an Ice- and Flying-type Pokémon, Articuno is resistant to Grass-, Ground-, and Bug-type attacks. Articuno may not be many Trainer’s first pick for Raid Battles, but it can hold its own in the GO Battle League as an effective counter to popular picks in the Ultra League, such as Charizard, Swampert, Togekiss, Giratina, and Cresselia. And the recent popularity of Flying-type Pokémon in the GO Battle League means that Ice-type attacks are surprisingly useful. As always, it’s essential to carefully choose which attacks you teach Articuno and that you also teach it a second Charged Attack to maximize its effectiveness in battle.

Many Trainers favor Articuno’s Ice Shard Fast Attack for its superior energy generation. When it comes to Charged Attacks, Icy Wind boasts the twofold advantage of a same-type attack bonus and decreasing your opponent’s Attack, which is immensely helpful. When choosing a second Charged Attack, some Trainers favor Ancient Power for its advantage against Flying-type Pokémon. But the Flying-type Hurricane is also an excellent choice because it’s powerful against both Fighting-type Pokémon and Grass-type Pokémon. Whichever you choose, teaching Articuno a second Charged Attack will require Stardust and Candy, so you should try to catch as many Articuno as possible to earn both.

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