How to Catch Legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Go

Legendary Pokemon are the hardest Pokemon to catch in Pokemon Go. With a base catch rate of only 2 […]

November 9, 2017, 5:24pm

Legendary Pokemon are the hardest Pokemon to catch in Pokemon Go. With a base catch rate of only 2 to 3% and a limited stash of Premier Balls, trying to catch one of these Pokemon can be a frustrating experience.

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And here’s the thing: there is no hidden trick to catching Legendary Pokemon. You can’t hold down on the B button until the second shake of a PokeBall or pull out a Master Ball to make catching Lugia or Moltres any easier. Catching a Legendary Pokemon largely comes down to a combination of luck and a little bit of skill.

However, we can offer you some advice if you’re continuously struggling to catch a Legendary Pokemon. None of the information we’re going to share is “new” advice, but sometimes it helps to read things you already knew about or might have forgotten:

Pick Your Shot

Depending on how many Premier Balls they get after a Raid Battle, players only have between 5 to 13 opportunities to catch a Legendary Pokemon. Players should maximize their odds by not wasting Premier Balls on errant or mistimed throws.

There is no timer for the “bonus challenge” stage of a raid, so players can take as long as they need to catch a Legendary Pokemon. That means that players don’t have to try catching Articuno and Moltres (and presumably Zapdos) when they soar to the top of a player’s screen. It might be a bit frustrating to wait several seconds for a Pokemon to return to the center of the screen, but it’s a lot better than wasting a Premier Ball.

Players should also be wary of a Pokemon’s “attacks” while trying to catch it. Pokemon will occasionally roar or jump out at a player, blocking a player’s attempt at throwing a PokeBall. A lot of players recommend waiting until a half second before a Pokemon finishes their attacks to throw a PokeBall. While Pokemon will occasionally string off multiple attacks in short succession, it seems pretty rare, so the best window to throw is just before they calm down.

Stack Those Bonuses

While a Legendary Pokemon’s base capture rate is relatively low, players can increase the probability of catching a Pokemon in several ways. The easiest way, of course, is using a Golden Razz Berry, which will increase a Pokemon’s base capture rate by a whopping 2.5x factor. That means that a Lugia’s base capture rate will jump up to 6%, while a Moltres will hop up to 7.5%.

Another consistent way of increasing your odds is by using a curveball throw. Curveballs can be tricky, especially when trying to score an accuracy bonus, but learning how to do it right will give you a consistent 1.7x multiplier. Remember: a curved Premier Ball throw is better than a straight Great Ball throw.

Most players should have a Gold Medal for catching Flying-Type Pokemon. Even if a player doesn’t have a full medal in a Legendary Pokemon’s other type, they’ll still automatically receive an additional 1.15x catch multiplier just for catching hundreds of Pidgey over the last year.

All of these bonuses stack, so players can really improve their odds even if they can’t hit a “Great” or “Excellent” throw consistently. A Golden Razz Berry, curveball throw, and a Flying-Type Gold Medal will automatically give players a 4.89x catch rate multiplier. That’ll bump up a player’s chances of catching a Moltres to 14.67% per throw and will give players a 9.78% chance of catching Lugia. Still long odds, but players don’t need to rely on “accurate” throws to increase their chances of catching one of these rare Pokemon.

For more advice on how to beat Legendary Pokemon, check out our Lugia raid guide and Moltres raid guide.