Crown Tundra Legendary Pokemon: How To Catch Galarian Articuno, Zapdos, And Moltres Guide

Pokemon Sword and Shield's new Crown Tundra area is swarming with Legendary Pokemon, including Galarian forms of the three Legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. You'll need to catch the birds as part of your expedition, but they won't make it easy; when you first encounter them at Dyna Tree Hill in the southernmost portion of the Crown Tundra, they'll all flee to a different part of Galar, so you'll need to return to previous areas and chase them down individually.

Each of the Legendary birds can be found roaming about one of Sword and Shield's three open-world areas: Zapdos flees to the original Wild Area, Moltres lurks around the Isle of Armor, and Articuno roams about the Crown Tundra. If you need help tracking the Legendaries down, here's where you can find Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.

How To Find Galarian Articuno

Although Articuno is the only Legendary bird to remain in the Crown Tundra, it's arguably the trickiest of the three to catch. We found it lurking on a cliff in Snowslide Slope, just above the ruins that house Regice. When you approach the Pokemon, however, it creates two illusory clones of itself to throw you off. The real Articuno will flap its wing before it starts spinning around in a circle with its clones, so pay close attention and approach the real Legendary bird when they slow down.

If you choose the correct Articuno, the clones will disappear and the Legendary will attack, initiating a battle; choose wrong, however, and the Pokemon will fly off to a different part of the Crown Tundra. We've also seen it in the Old Cemetery, but to avoid having to track it down again, save your game when you first spot the Legendary and simply restart if it flees.

How To Find Galarian Zapdos

Galarian Zapdos is the easiest of the three Legendary birds to catch in our experience. We've found it walking around just outside of Motostoke, so fast travel to the entrance of the city and you should spot it quickly. Zapdos will take off when it sees you, so you'll need to pursue it on your bike. Although it runs swiftly, Zapdos will tire out and slow down every few seconds, so be persistent and don't lose sight of it and you'll eventually catch up to the Pokemon.

How To Find Galarian Moltres

Galarian Moltres is likewise easy to find but a bit tricky to actually catch. Fast travel to the Isle of Armor's Master Dojo and you should spot it immediately upon arriving. It'll fly by rather quickly, however, so pursue it on your bike and try to cut off its flight path if you can, because it'll otherwise be difficult to keep up with.

If Moltres does elude you, you can always wait outside the Master Dojo for it; the Legendary will fly past the building again in a few minutes when it completes its lap around the island, so you'll get another chance to catch it before long.

Other Tips

Although the Legendary birds will respawn if you inadvertently knock them out before catching them, it's a good idea to save when you first spot them; that way, you can simply restart the game if you knock the Pokemon out, saving you the trouble of having to chase them down again.

Keep in mind that these Galarian forms have different typings than the original Legendary birds. Galarian Articuno is Psychic/Flying, Galarian Zapdos is Fighting/Flying, and Galarian Moltres is Dark/Flying, so prepare your teams accordingly before you attempt to battle each Pokemon. Like other Legendaries, the Galarian birds also have really low catch rates, so make sure you're sufficiently stocked up on Ultra Balls. You'll also improve your chances of capturing them if you're able to paralyze them or put them to sleep.

You'll be tasked with investigating a few other Legendary Pokemon in the Crown Tundra, including the expansion's mascot Calyrex, which you'll need to reunite with its loyal steed. The DLC also introduces two new Legendary giants, Regieleki and Regidrago. You can read more about the expansion's new features and Pokemon in our roundup of everything we know about The Crown Tundra.