How to Catch Landorus in Pokémon GO: A Comprehensive Guide

Landorus, the Abundance Pokémon, is a powerful Ground and Flying-type Legendary Pokémon hailing from the Unova region. It is part of the Forces of Nature trio, along with Tornadus and Thundurus. Catching Landorus in Pokémon GO is a coveted achievement for any serious trainer, adding a significant boost to your raid teams and PvP rosters. This comprehensive guide provides everything you need to know to successfully encounter and catch Landorus, maximizing your chances of adding this formidable Pokémon to your collection.

## Understanding Landorus

Before diving into the catch process, it’s crucial to understand what makes Landorus a valuable Pokémon and its strengths and weaknesses.

* **Typing:** Ground/Flying
* **Weaknesses:** Ice (2.56x), Water (1.6x)
* **Resistances:** Electric (0.391x), Fighting (0.391x), Ground (0.391x), Bug (0.625x), Grass (0.625x)
* **Strengths:** Landorus boasts a high Attack stat, making it an excellent choice for raid battles and gym offense. Its dual typing offers a unique offensive profile, allowing it to deal super-effective damage against various types.
* **Forms:** Landorus appears in two forms: Incarnate Forme and Therian Forme. Both have distinct appearances and stats, with Therian Forme generally considered superior due to its higher Attack.

## When and How to Find Landorus

Landorus typically appears in Pokémon GO during specific events, usually tied to seasons or special raid events. Keep an eye on official Pokémon GO announcements, the in-game News section, and Pokémon GO community resources to know when Landorus will be available in raids. Here’s a breakdown of how to find and encounter Landorus:

1. **Raid Events:** Landorus is primarily available through five-star raids. These raids feature a giant egg atop a gym, indicating a powerful Pokémon will hatch. The color and design of the egg will usually hint at the Pokémon inside. Keep an eye out for announcements specifically mentioning Landorus in five-star raids.
2. **Remote Raid Passes:** To participate in raids remotely, you’ll need Remote Raid Passes. These can be purchased in the in-game shop. Remote Raiding allows you to join raids hosted by friends or those you find through online communities, expanding your opportunities to battle Landorus.
3. **Local Raids:** If you prefer battling in person, find a local gym hosting a Landorus raid. Gather a team of friends or fellow trainers to increase your chances of success.
4. **Pokémon GO Communities:** Online communities, such as Discord servers, Reddit threads, and Facebook groups dedicated to Pokémon GO, are invaluable resources for finding and coordinating raids. Many trainers use these platforms to share raid invites, allowing you to join raids from all over the world.

## Preparing for the Landorus Raid

Successfully defeating and catching Landorus requires careful preparation. Here’s a detailed guide to assembling your raid team and gathering necessary resources:

1. **Assemble a Strong Team:**

* **Type Coverage:** Given Landorus’s weaknesses, prioritize Pokémon with Ice and Water-type attacks. However, consider Pokémon with high attack stats and movesets that can deal significant neutral damage if you lack ideal counters.
* **Mega Pokémon:** Mega Pokémon provide substantial stat boosts to your team, increasing their damage output. Excellent Mega Pokémon choices against Landorus include:
* **Mega Abomasnow:** A strong Ice-type attacker, boosting other Ice-type Pokémon in the raid.
* **Mega Blastoise:** A powerful Water-type attacker, boosting other Water-type Pokémon in the raid.
* **Mega Glalie:** Another solid Ice-type Mega Evolution.
* **Mega Gyarados:** Although Dark/Water, it can use Water-type attacks effectively.
* **Top Counters:** The following Pokémon are excellent choices for battling Landorus, ranked by their effectiveness:
* **Mamoswine:** Boasting high Attack and access to powerful Ice-type moves like Powder Snow and Avalanche, Mamoswine is a top-tier counter.
* **Glaceon:** Another strong Ice-type attacker, Glaceon can deal significant damage with Ice Shard and Avalanche.
* **Weavile:** A fast and powerful Ice-type attacker, Weavile utilizes Ice Shard and Avalanche to great effect.
* **Kyogre:** A Legendary Water-type Pokémon, Kyogre can deliver devastating damage with Waterfall and Origin Pulse or Surf.
* **Gyarados:** As a Water/Flying type, Gyarados resists Ground-type attacks from Landorus. Use Waterfall and Hydro Pump.
* **Swampert:** A Water/Ground type, Swampert resists Electric and Ground attacks. Use Water Gun and Hydro Cannon.
* **Kingler:** A pure Water type, Kingler benefits from the Water-type attack boost in Partly Cloudy weather. Use Bubble and Crabhammer.
* **Jynx:** An Ice/Psychic type, Jynx can deal super-effective damage with Frost Breath and Avalanche.
* **Articuno:** An Ice/Flying Legendary, Articuno is a decent choice if you lack the stronger Ice attackers. Use Ice Shard and Icy Wind.
* **Abomasnow:** A Grass/Ice type. While being doubly weak to fire attacks it can do a decent amount of damage against Landorus using Powder Snow and Weather Ball (Ice).
2. **Power Up Your Pokémon:** Before the raid, invest in powering up your chosen Pokémon to maximize their CP and HP. Use Stardust and Candy to increase their stats, ensuring they can withstand Landorus’s attacks and deal significant damage.
3. **Best Movesets:** Ensure your Pokémon have the best possible movesets for dealing damage to Landorus. Use TMs (Technical Machines) to change their moves if necessary. Fast TMs change the fast attack, and Charged TMs change the charged attack.
4. **Weather Boost:** Weather conditions in Pokémon GO can influence the strength of Pokémon and their moves. Look for weather that boosts your chosen counters. Snow boosts Ice-type attacks, and Rain boosts Water-type attacks. If the weather is favorable, take advantage of the boosted damage output.
5. **Stock Up on Items:**

* **Potions and Revives:** After each raid attempt, your Pokémon will likely need healing. Stock up on Potions and Revives to quickly restore their HP and revive fainted Pokémon.
* **Berries:** Use Berries during the catch encounter to increase your chances of successfully catching Landorus. Golden Razz Berries provide the highest catch rate boost.
* **Fast Catch Trick:** Practicing the Fast Catch Trick can save you valuable time during the catch encounter. This technique involves skipping the catch animation, allowing you to throw more Poké Balls in the limited time.

## Battling Landorus

Once you’ve assembled your team and gathered your resources, it’s time to battle Landorus. Here’s a breakdown of the battle strategy:

1. **Join the Raid:** Use a Raid Pass or Remote Raid Pass to join the Landorus raid. If you’re raiding in person, coordinate with your team to ensure everyone joins at the same time.
2. **Team Selection:** Select your prepared team of counters. The game will automatically suggest a team, but double-check to ensure your top counters are included.
3. **Dodge Attacks:** Landorus’s attacks can deal significant damage. Pay attention to the attack animations and swipe left or right to dodge. Dodging reduces the damage taken and allows your Pokémon to stay in the battle longer.
4. **Use Charged Attacks:** As you deal damage, your Pokémon’s charged attack meter will fill. Unleash these powerful attacks to maximize your damage output. Coordinate with your team to use charged attacks strategically, such as when Landorus is vulnerable.
5. **Re-enter the Battle:** If your Pokémon faint during the battle, quickly revive and re-enter the battle with your remaining team members. Keep fighting until Landorus is defeated.

## Catching Landorus

After successfully defeating Landorus, you’ll have a chance to catch it. This is often the most challenging part of the process, as Landorus can be difficult to hit and has a relatively low catch rate. Here’s a detailed guide to maximizing your chances of catching Landorus:

1. **Golden Razz Berries:** Use Golden Razz Berries on every throw. These berries significantly increase the catch rate, making it easier to catch Landorus.
2. **Excellent Throws:** Aim for Excellent throws. These provide the highest catch rate bonus. Practice your throwing technique to consistently land Excellent throws. Focus on waiting for Landorus to settle into a predictable animation before throwing.
3. **Curveballs:** Throw curveballs by spinning the Poké Ball before releasing it. Curveballs provide a slight catch rate bonus. Practice throwing curveballs accurately to combine them with Excellent throws.
4. **AR+ Mode (Optional):** If you’re using a compatible device, AR+ mode can make it easier to aim your throws. However, it can also be more challenging to use. Experiment to see if AR+ mode improves your accuracy.
5. **Patience and Persistence:** Catching Landorus can be frustrating, as it may break out of multiple Poké Balls. Be patient and persistent, and keep throwing Golden Razz Berries and aiming for Excellent throws. Don’t give up until you’ve run out of Poké Balls.
6. **Circle Locking Technique:** The circle locking technique is an advanced method for guaranteeing Great or Excellent throws. Before Landorus attacks, wait until the catch circle is at the size of a Great or Excellent throw. Hold your finger on the ball. When Landorus attacks, release your finger just before the attack animation finishes, throwing the ball. The attack animation prevents Landorus from moving and resets the catch circle to the correct size.
7. **Understand Landorus’ Catch Circle:** Landorus’ catch circle is relatively small compared to some other legendaries, making accurate throws crucial. Practice in non-raid scenarios to improve your aim before battling Landorus.

## Landorus’ Movesets

Understanding Landorus’s possible movesets is crucial for preparing your raid counters and anticipating its attacks during the raid battle.

**Landorus (Incarnate Forme) Possible Movesets:**

* **Fast Moves:**
* Mud Shot (Ground)
* Rock Throw (Rock)
* **Charged Moves:**
* Earthquake (Ground)
* Rock Slide (Rock)
* Focus Blast (Fighting)
* Outrage (Dragon)

**Landorus (Therian Forme) Possible Movesets:**

* **Fast Moves:**
* Mud Shot (Ground)
* **Charged Moves:**
* Earthquake (Ground)
* Focus Blast (Fighting)
* Stone Edge (Rock)
* Sand Tomb (Ground)

**Key Considerations:**

* **Focus Blast:** A Fighting-type move, Focus Blast can be devastating to Ice-type counters like Mamoswine and Glaceon. If Landorus has Focus Blast, consider switching to more resilient Water-type counters like Kyogre.
* **Rock-type Moves (Rock Throw & Rock Slide/Stone Edge):** Rock-type moves deal super-effective damage to Ice-types as well. Be mindful of this when selecting your raid team.
* **Mud Shot & Earthquake/Sand Tomb:** These Ground-type moves are resisted by Flying types, making them suitable for countering Landorus, but also mean Flying-type Pokemon may not be the best choice to bring along unless they also resist Ground.
* **Outrage (Incarnate Forme only):** This Dragon-type move has a high damage output, but not effective against Ice or Water types.

Knowing Landorus’ potential moves allows you to adapt your strategy during the battle, potentially dodging certain attacks or adjusting your team composition.

## Post-Catch Considerations

Congratulations on catching Landorus! Here’s what to do after adding it to your collection:

1. **Appraise:** Use the in-game appraisal feature to check Landorus’s IVs (Individual Values). These values determine its potential for combat. Aim for Landorus with high IVs, especially in Attack.
2. **IV Checkers:** You can use third-party IV checkers (carefully, adhering to Niantic’s terms of service) to get a more precise assessment of Landorus’s IVs. These tools provide a percentage rating of its overall potential.
3. **Power Up:** If you have a Landorus with high IVs, invest in powering it up using Stardust and Candy. A maxed-out Landorus can be a valuable asset to your raid teams and PvP rosters.
4. **Second Charged Move:** Consider teaching Landorus a second charged move. This provides more flexibility in battle, allowing you to deal with a wider range of opponents.
5. **Best Use Cases:**

* **Raids:** Landorus excels in raid battles, particularly against Pokémon weak to Ground or Flying-type attacks.
* **Gym Offense:** Use Landorus to quickly take down gyms defended by Pokémon like Metagross, Melmetal, or Regirock.
* **PvP (Master League):** Landorus (especially Therian Forme) can be a powerful contender in the Master League, thanks to its high Attack stat and diverse moveset.

## Tips and Tricks

* **Prioritize Attack IVs:** When choosing which Landorus to invest in, prioritize those with high Attack IVs. Attack is the most important stat for raid battles and gym offense.
* **Community Days and Events:** Keep an eye out for Community Days or special events that may feature boosted Candy or Stardust rewards. These events can help you power up your Landorus more quickly.
* **Lucky Trades:** If you have a friend who also caught Landorus, consider trading them. Lucky Trades guarantee that both Pokémon will have high IVs, making them easier to power up.
* **Remote Raid Etiquette:** When participating in remote raids, be courteous to the host. Send a gift and be ready to join the raid promptly.

## Conclusion

Catching Landorus in Pokémon GO is a rewarding challenge that requires careful planning, preparation, and execution. By following the steps outlined in this comprehensive guide, you can maximize your chances of successfully encountering, defeating, and catching this powerful Legendary Pokémon. Good luck, trainers, and may your throws be Excellent!