The Legendary Pokémon Moltres has begun to appear in Raid Battles around the world—but it’ll be available only for a limited time. Team Valor’s Legendary Pokémon will cease to appear as a Raid Boss after August 7, so make sure you head out to battle before it’s too late.
Moltres will be a tough Pokémon to catch, but we have the tips you need to add it to your collection. You’ll be able to capture it only using the Premier Balls earned from defeating it, so you’ll need your Pokémon to perform well in battle to maximize your chances. Check out our guide to training Pokémon in Pokémon GO to get your team up to speed, then read on for some tips to make sure you don’t flame out on the Flame Pokémon.
Suggested Pokémon
The Fire- and Flying-type Moltres is weak against Electric- and Water-type attacks, and it’s especially weak against Rock-type attacks. Moltres will use only Fire-type moves, further increasing the effectiveness of Rock- and Water-type Pokémon. (Also worth noting is that Fire types and Dragon types will resist its attacks.) Focus on using your Rock-type Pokémon first, then your Water-type Pokémon, and finish up with Electric-type Pokémon if Moltres’s flames still haven’t been extinguished. Stay away from Bug-, Grass-, Ice-, and Steel-type Pokémon, as they’ll quickly be incinerated by supereffective Fire-type attacks.
Golem is the best choice to get your offense rolling. It’s one of the only Rock-type Pokémon that can learn a Rock-type Fast Attack, and it has solid stats, too. You’ll have to cut corners from there—Tyranitar and Rhydon have great stats but can’t learn Rock-type Fast Attacks. Sudowoodo and Magcargo crucially learn the Rock Throw Fast Attack, but their stats are significantly weaker than rock stars like Golem. Use Charged TMs to help your Rock-type Pokémon learn Rock-type Charged Attacks and make the most of your advantage.
Starmie, Omastar, Vaporeon, and Feraligatr will douse Moltres’s flames quickest among Water-type Pokémon, and Omastar can deal even more damage if it knows Rock-type attacks instead of the Water Gun and Hydro Pump combination best suited to the other Water-type Pokémon. Omastar also shares the advantage of taking the least damage from Moltres’s attacks—along with Kingdra, Kabutops, and Magcargo—thanks to its having two types that resist Fire-type attacks.
There aren’t many powerful Electric types available in Pokémon GO, but Jolteon is sure to deal heavy damage if you have one available. Be careful with it and other Electric-type Pokémon like Raichu and Ampharos, though—without a resistance to Fire-type attacks, none of them will survive many of Moltres’s Charged Attacks. (And stay away from Magneton—as a Steel- and Electric-type Pokémon, it’s actually weak against Moltres’s attacks.) Don’t forget that Dragon-type Pokémon also resist Fire-type attacks, so Dragonite is a solid last resort even without the ability to inflict supereffective damage.
Throw Heat at Moltres
You’ll only get a few Premier Balls to capture Moltres once you’ve defeated it, so you’ll want to make each one count. Use a Golden Razz Berry before each throw, and be sure to stock up on them by defeating other Raid Bosses!
The odds of capturing Moltres are greatest while the target ring is at its smallest diameter. Scoring Great or Excellent Throws will increase your odds, and throwing Curveballs will improve them further. But work within your abilities—if you don’t think you can hit Excellent Curveballs reliably, go for easier throws instead of missing the target ring completely.
You’ll waste your Premier Balls if your target is moving around when you throw. Wait for Moltres to stop acting up, then time your throw so the Premier Ball lands in the target ring before it disappears.
Legendary Pokémon are tough to capture, so don’t be discouraged if Moltres gets away the first time you defeat it! Stock up on useful items like Max Potions, Max Revives, and Golden Razz Berries so you're prepared to try again soon. But don’t wait too long—remember that Moltres is available for only a limited time. Good luck with your Legendary adventures, and remember to check back to Pokemon.co.uk/Strategy for more Pokémon GO, video game, and Pokémon TCG tips.
