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. 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 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.

• Mega Charizard Y (Fire/Flying)

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

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

• Darmanitan (Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Fang (Fire), Incinerate (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Overheat (Fire), Rock Slide (Rock)

• Mega Ampharos (Electric/Dragon)

  • Fast Attack: Charge Beam (Electric), Volt Switch (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Power Gem (Rock), Thunder (Electric), Thunder Punch (Electric), Zap Cannon (Electric)

• Raikou (Electric)

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

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Thunderbolt (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 / Mega Aerodactyl / Shadow 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)

• 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: Heavy Slam (Steel), 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: Stone Edge (Rock)

• Aggron / Shadow Aggron (Steel/Rock)

  • Fast Attack: Iron Tail (Steel), Smack Down (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Heavy Slam (Steel), Stone Edge (Rock)

• Metagross / Shadow Metagross (Steel/Psychic)

  • Fast Attack: Bullet Punch (Steel)

  • Charged Attack: Flash Cannon (Steel), Meteor Mash (Steel)

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 has a type advantage against Grass-, Fighting-, Ground-, Flying-, Bug-, and Dragon-type Pokémon and is resistant to Grass-, Ground-, and Bug-type attacks. In addition to being useful in Raid Battles against Grass-, Ground-, Flying-, and Dragon-type Pokémon, the Freeze Pokémon is a strong contender in the GO Battle League, especially since being a Flying type counteracts its Ice-type vulnerability to Fighting-type attacks. Articuno is a particularly solid matchup against prominent Ultra League Pokémon like Swampert, Togekiss, Giratina, and Cresselia.

When choosing a Fast Attack for Articuno, Frost Breath deals slightly more damage per second, while Ice Shard generates slightly more energy per second, though both benefit from a same-type attack bonus. When choosing Articuno’s initial Charged Attack, an Ice-type attack is a solid choice. Out of your available options, Icy Wind is noteworthy because it costs the least amount of energy and decreases your opponent’s Attack power. If you’re aiming to bring Articuno to the GO Battle League, you should increase its CP and teach it a second Charged Attack. If Articuno’s first Charged Attack is Ice-type, it makes sense to choose between the Rock-type Ancient Power and the Flying-type Hurricane. This will require a significant amount of Articuno Candy and Stardust, so try to catch as many Articuno as possible to get you there faster.

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