Pokemon Go's Legendary Raids Are Live, Details Revealed

Not long at all after Pokemon Go Fest reached its conclusion and plenty of players left [...]

By Tanner Dedmon

legendary pokemon

Not long at all after Pokemon Go Fest reached its conclusion and plenty of players left dissatisfied with the event, Niantic has proved that the big day for Pokemon Go isn't over just yet now that the Legendary Raids are now accessible for players outside of the Chicago area where they were first planned to take place. Now that players have access to the battles against the Legendary Pokemon Lugia and Articuno, details are emerging related to how to take on the powerful Pokemon and hopefully walk away with one of them in your collection.

The Legendary Raids are popping up in multiple places around the world, so it shouldn't be too difficult to come across one, but when you do, here's what you need to know in order to make the raid a successful one.

Where Are The Legendary Raids?

pokemon-go-legendary

As far as where these Legendary Raids are, if you were already out hunting for some Legendary Pokemon, you shouldn't have too hard of a time coming across them. From locations around the world that range from San Francisco to Australia to Singapore, players are announcing that they're finding both Lugia and Articuno out in the open, ready to be taken on in a raid battle so that they can take home a Legendary.

In fact, there have actually already been grumblings that the Legendary Raids are too common. It's extremely likely that Niantic has increased the chance to find a Legendary Raid for the weekend to keep players hunting for the next few days, but some are concerned that everyone having a Legendary Pokemon will diminish the experience.

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Which Legendary Pokemon Are Available?

Pokemon Go Legendary
(Photo: Niantic)

As most Pokemon Go players undoubtedly heard from the plethora of tweets and updates that came from visitors to Chicago's Pokemon Go Fest, Lugia was the first Legendary Pokemon that was announced. The Pokemon was said to be a prize that would be given out to those who attended the festival, a prize that is now available to players around the world, assuming they can beat the iconic Pokemon.

In addition to Lugia, Articuno is also available for Legendary Raids after Team Mystic caught the most Pokemon during the event. Moltres and Zapdos aren't available for raids just yet, but an announcement from Niantic noted that the two other Legendary Birds weren't far away.

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Raid Passes, Timers, And Other Details

raid battles

With Legendary Raid Passes announced not too long ago with the sole purpose of being used to take on Legendary Pokemon in the raids, many were expecting to need them right away. That may be the case soon, but right now, a regular raid pass will suffice. No Legendary Raid Passes are needed, so take advantage of the opportunity while you can.

As for how long you'll get to take down either Lugia or Articuno, it's being reported that these Legendary Raids have a 300-second timer, and after you defeat the Pokemon, you'll be rewarded with a 10,000 XP yield.

The Pokemon are bringing CP levels of around 30,000 when it comes to fighting them in the Legendary Raids — a number that changes when caught, as usual — and even though some players are reporting that the raids can be won with as few as nine players, others are having quite a bit of trouble taking down the raids.

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How Hard Is It To Catch The Legendaries?

legendary-pokemon-raid

It was said leading up to the event that would ultimately end with the reveal of the Legendary Pokemon that attempting to reach the milestone required to unlock them wouldn't be easy. One could also pretty safely assume that actually catching the Legendary Pokemon after the raid is one wouldn't be easy either, but it apparently depends on where you're located, for now.

As players posted on Twitter and Reddit that they've begun catching the Articuno and Lugia, there's been some differences between the reported catch rates of the Pokemon. For those in the Chicago area, many are reporting a 100 percent catch rate for Lugia; all you have to do is hit the Pokemon, and it's yours. Others, however, are reporting that the Pokemon are breaking out several times from the balls that they attempt to use. The catch rate seems to still be low for players outside of Chicago, but those in the area are getting a make-up chance from the flopped event.

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What Stats Do The Legendary Pokemon Have?

legendary raids

But when it comes to the Legendary Pokemon, many player want to know about the all-important stats and whether they were worth the wait. According to some first-hand accounts from players who are catching the Pokemon around the world, we've got a decent look at what kinds of CP and movesets these Pokemon are appearing with.

For those who have added Lugia to their collection, reports of CP range right around 2,000 CP when caught. Articuno seems to have a bit lower CP level according to evidence of catches with CP levels hovering around the 1,500-1,600 ranges, give or take a few CP either way.

As for the moves that these Pokemon can come with, there are already a few examples of different signature attacks that are either being used by the Pokemon or are known when they're caught. Below are some of the potential moves so far:

Lugia:

  • Dragon Tail
  • Sky Attack
  • Extrasensory
  • Hydro Pump
  • Future Sight

Articuno:

  • Frost Breath
  • Icy Wind
  • Ice Beam
  • Blizzard
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