Heatran is a Steel- and Fire-type Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Sinnoh region. Heatran’s body is made of rugged steel, and it dwells in volcanic caves. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Heatran, how to catch Heatran after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to utilize the Lava Dome Pokémon after you’ve caught it.

Which Pokémon to Use in a Heatran Raid in Pokémon GO

As a Fire- and Steel-type Pokémon, Heatran is vulnerable to Water-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks. When choosing six Pokémon for your Heatran Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that have a Fast Attack and Charged Attack of one of these types if you want to deal maximum damage. 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. Ground-type attacks can deal a lot of damage since Heatran is doubly vulnerable as a Steel- and Fire-type Pokémon, so consider adding as many Pokémon with a Ground-type attacks to your team as possible.

If you have multiple Pokémon that know Water-, Fighting-, or Ground-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 after a successful Raid Battle, so bring your strongest Pokémon and defeat Heatran as quickly as possible.

When you challenge a Raid Boss while you’re in a party, Party Power can give your Charged Attacks a boost. The more party members in the raid, the faster your Party Power charges—and when you activate it, your next Charged Attack will deal even more damage! To get the most out of Party Power, it’s a great idea to take on Raid Battles with friends.

It’s also worth noting that when you include a Mega-Evolved Pokémon in your raid lineup, all Pokémon of the same type participating in the raid receive a damage boost while that Mega-Evolved Pokémon is battling the Raid Boss. With their substantial CP, Mega-Evolved Pokémon are already an excellent resource for raids, and this added damage boost for other Trainers’ Pokémon can be significant in Raid Battles where you’re up against the clock.

Make the Most of Premier Balls and Berries

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

In an encounter with Heatran, 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.

Heatran 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 Heatran 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 Heatran. A Razz Berry will make Heatran 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 Heatran, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Heatran Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Heatran 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, Heatran 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 Heatran Once You’ve Caught It

As a Fire- and Steel-type Pokémon, Heatran is resistant to an exceedingly impressive 10 types of attacks: Normal, Grass, Ice, Poison, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Dragon, Steel, and Fairy. Heatran is doubly resistant to six of these types (Grass, Ice, Poison, Bug, Steel, and Fairy), so it takes very little damage from them. Factor in its impressively high max CP, and you’ll find Heatran to be a solid Fire-type attacker in Pokémon GO raids.

Heatran might not deal as much damage per second as a Fire-type Shadow Pokémon, a Fire-type Pokémon that has Mega Evolved, or Moltres. However, it can last a lot longer in battle than many of these Pokémon due to its many resistances—and, as a bonus, you don’t need Mega Energy for it to be viable! If you plan on using Heatran in raids, be sure to teach it a Fire-type Fast Attack and Charged Attack. Fire Spin and Flamethrower are an effective combination.

When it comes to the GO Battle League, Heatran’s viability is a little more complicated. Its CP is too high for the Great League, and Registeel is considered a better Steel-type Pokémon for the Ultra League. It also faces stiff competition from Fire-type Pokémon like Charizard and Talonflame that can fill a similar niche. In the Master League, Heatran performs slightly better. Steel-type Pokémon—including Metagross, Dialga, Excadrill, and Melmetal—are popular within the Master League, which gives a strong Fire-type attacker like Heatran an opportunity to melt the competition. Heatran’s resistances come in handy there, making it a little less vulnerable than other Steel- or Fire-type Pokémon frequently found in the Master League.

A Heatran with maxed-out CP, two Charged Attacks, and a thoughtfully chosen team and strategy to highlight its strengths could be competitive. And if you plan on adding Heatran to your Master League team, be sure to participate in as many Heatran raids as possible to get the Heatran Candy and Heatran Candy XL you need to power it up.

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.