Pokemon Go: Tornadus Counters, Raid Hours, And How To Catch Guide

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

Tornadus will be available in Raids from February 4-25, after which point it will be replaced by a new Legendary, so you'll have until then to add the Cyclone Pokemon to your collection. If you need help getting it, we've rounded up some tips on how to battle and catch Tornadus below.

Tornadus Raid Schedule

Tornadus will appear as a five-star Raid boss around the world until February 25. These Raids can occur at any time, but you'll be able to clearly tell when one is about to begin. Prior to a Raid, you'll see a giant Raid egg appear over a Gym along with a countdown timer. The color of the egg signifies what level the Raid will be; if the egg is blue, the Raid boss will be Tornadus. You'll also receive a notification within the game when a nearby Raid is beginning soon.

There's no telling when a Tornadus Raid will occur, but there are certain days when you'll be guaranteed to find one. Every Wednesday from 6-7 PM local time, Niantic holds a special Raid Hour, during which most Gyms in your area will be hosting a Tornadus Raid. This all but ensures you'll be able to find the Legendary Pokemon during the designated window of time. Tornadus Raid Hours will occur from 6-7 PM local time on the following dates:

• February 5
• February 12
• February 19

How To Battle Tornadus

Before you can participate in a Tornadus Raid, you'll need to have a Raid Pass. You can receive a pass for free each day by spinning the Photo Disc at a Gym, but you can only hold one of these at a time. You also have the option of purchasing Raid Passes from Pokemon Go's in-game store.

While some lower level Raids can be cleared solo, you'll need to team up with several other players in-person if you hope to defeat Tornadus, as Legendary Pokemon are extremely powerful. Once the Raid begins, each player in the group will be attacking Tornadus simultaneously to whittle down its health.

If your group manages to defeat Tornadus before the time expires, everyone who participated in the Raid will earn a handful of Premier Balls. These are the only Poke Balls you can use to try to catch Tornadus, so you'll need to throw them carefully; if you run out of Premier Balls before capturing Tornadus, the Legendary will flee, and you'll need to battle it again for another chance to catch it.

Tornadus Weaknesses And Counters

Tornadus is a pure Flying type, which makes it especially weak to Rock, Electric, and Ice Pokemon, so you'll want to stack your team with Pokemon of those types when challenging it for your best chance of defeating it.

Rhyperior and Raikou are particularly good choices. Even if you don't currently have either Pokemon, you'll have a chance to add them to your collection this month. Rhyperior's first form, Rhyhorn, is the featured Pokemon for February's Community Day, and if you can evolve one into Rhyperior by the end of the event, it'll learn the Rock-type Charged attack Rock Wrecker.

Raikou, meanwhile, can be found through this month's Team Go Rocket Special Research quest. That questline culminates in a battle with Team Go Rocket leader Giovanni, and if you can defeat him, you'll earn an opportunity to catch his Shadow Raikou. Like other Shadow Pokemon, Shadow Raikou will receive a stat boost when purified.

One type you'll want to avoid using when facing Tornadus, however, is Ground, as Ground-type attacks will be ineffective against it. Bug, Grass, and Fighting Pokemon also take super-effective damage from Flying attacks, so avoid using any of those types on your team when challenging Tornadus.