Pokemon Go Thundurus Raids: Counters, Weaknesses, Go Battle League Reward, And Battling Tips

A new Legendary Pokemon has arrived in Pokemon Go. Thundurus, one of the three Forces of Nature from the Unova region in Pokemon Black and White, is now appearing in five-star Raid Battles around the world, making this your first chance to capture one in Niantic's hit Pokemon mobile game.

Thundurus will only be available in Raid Battles for a limited time, so you'll need to act quickly if you're hoping to add one to your collection. If you need help capturing the Bolt Strike Pokemon before it leaves the game, we've rounded up some tips on how to battle and capture Thundurus below.

How To Find Thundurus

The most common way to encounter Thundurus in Pokemon Go is through Raids. For the next few weeks, the Legendary Bolt Strike Pokemon will appear in Gyms as a five-star Raid boss. You'll receive an in-game notification when a nearby five-star Raid is about to begin, so you shouldn't have much trouble tracking Thundurus down.

Once you find a Gym that's hosting a Thundurus Raid, you'll need to redeem a Raid Pass to participate in the battle. You can get one of these for free when you spin the Photo Disc at a Gym, but you can only hold one free pass at a time. You can also purchase them through Pokemon Go's in-game store for 100 coins.

If you don't live near any Gyms, there's a second way to catch Thundurus. For a limited time, the Legendary Pokemon will be featured as a reward in the new Go Battle League PvP mode. Defeat enough players in online battles and you'll earn a chance to capture Thundurus outside of Raids.

Thundurus Counters And Weaknesses

Thundurus is a dual Electric/Flying type, which means it's only susceptible to two types of Pokemon: Rock and Ice. Rampardos, Tyranitar, and Rhyperior are all great choices to use when battling Thundurus; the latter in particular will be very helpful if you learned Rock Wrecker during February's Community Day. Similarly, the Legendary Rock Pokemon Terrakion is another great counter if you were able to catch one while it was in Raids earlier this year.

As for Ice Pokemon, Mamoswine and Glaceon will be your best options. The former in particular is a great choice thanks to its high HP and Ground typing, which will reduce the damage of Thundurus's Electric attacks. If you don't yet have a Glaceon, you can quickly add one to your team by using the Eevee naming trick.

There are a few other things to keep in mind when facing Thundurus. While Ground-type attacks typically deal super-effective damage against Electric Pokemon, Thundurus is also part-Flying, which mitigates that advantage. Thundurus may also know the Fighting move Brick Break, which will deal super-effective damage against Rock Pokemon. Tyranitar is particularly susceptible to this move as it's a Rock/Dark type, both of which are weak to Fighting.