Incarnate Forme Thundurus is an Electric- and Flying-type Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Unova region. Its tail discharges immense bolts of lightning as it flies. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Thundurus, how to catch Thundurus after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Bolt Strike Pokémon after you’ve caught it.

Which Pokémon to Use in a Thundurus Raid in Pokémon GO

As an Electric- and Flying-type Pokémon, Thundurus is vulnerable to Ice- and Rock-type attacks. When choosing six Pokémon for your Thundurus Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that have Fast Attack and a Charged Attack of one of these types if you want to deal as much damage as possible. 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 Ice- 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 Incarnate Forme Thundurus as quickly as you can.

When you challenge a Raid Boss while you’re in a party, Party Power can give your Charged Attacks a boost. When you have more party members in a raid, your Party Power charges more quickly—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, but this added damage boost for other Trainers’ Pokémon can also be significant in Raid Battles where you’re up against the clock.

Make the Most of Premier Balls and Berries

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

In an encounter with Thundurus, 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.

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

As an Electric- and Flying-type Pokémon, Incarnate Forme Thundurus is resistant to Grass-, Fighting-, Ground-, Flying-, Bug-, and Steel-type attacks. Although Incarnate Forme Thundurus is not the best choice for the GO Battle League, it can still bring the thunder to raids as an Electric-type attacker. Be sure to equip it with an Electric-type Fast Attack and Charged Attack—with a reasonably high max CP and Electric-type Fast Attacks and Charged Attacks, Incarnate Forme Thundurus is useful against Legendary Pokémon such as Lugia, Kyogre, and Palkia. While Incarnate Forme Thundurus might not be the most powerful Electric-type Pokémon, it can add depth to your Electric-type lineup, especially if you’ve powered it up as much as possible.

As always, when it comes to Pokémon you want to bring to raids, powering it up as much as possible will allow it to last longer in battle before fainting. Raising Incarnate Forme Thundurus’s CP to its maximum requires a lot of Stardust and Thundurus Candy, so try to catch as many Thundurus as possible to help you quickly gather the resources needed.

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