In short, Galarian Articuno is insanely rare – the rarest Pokémon currently available in Pokémon Go. Its base catch rate has been estimated at a miniscule 0.3%. For comparison, normal Legendary raid catches like Zapdos have a 2% base catch rate.
This means your odds of catching Galarian Articuno on any given encounter are less than 1 in 300. Keep reading as I break down just how elusive this prized regional variant is and provide some tips to boost your chances.
A Quick History of Articuno
Before diving into the rarity details, let‘s start with some background. Articuno is one of the original Legendary bird trio along with Zapdos and Moltres first discovered in the Kanto region. These ice, electric, and fire birds are revered for their immense power and elusiveness.
As a dual Ice/Flying type, Articuno can summon freezing storms and blizzards. It roams remote mountain peaks and is rarely seen by human eyes. Catching even a normal Articuno is an impressive feat for any Trainer.
The Galarian Regional Variant
When Articuno migrates to the Galar region, it adapts to the harsh environment by gaining a Dark-type affiliation. This grants it nefarious powers and a striking new greyscale color scheme.
Galarian Articuno trades some of its icy moves for Dark Pulse and other devious techniques. Its typing also changes to Dark/Flying, giving it new strengths and weaknesses.
While its looks and combat abilities may have changed, Galarian Articuno retains the awe-inspiring rarity of its Kantonian cousin. Let‘s look at why this regional variant is so absurdly hard to obtain.
By the Numbers: Galarian Articuno‘s Rarity
Based on data gathered by the Pokémon Go community since Galarian Articuno‘s release, we can quantify just how phenomenally elusive this Dark Legendary bird is:
- 0.3% Base Catch Rate – For comparison, Legendary raid encounters normally have a 2% base catch rate. Galarian Articuno‘s is nearly 7x lower!
- 90% Flee Rate – 9 out of 10 times, it will break out and instantly flee after one failed catch attempt.
- Spawn Rate Near 0% – Daily Adventure Incense only grants a small chance of spawning Galarian Articuno. Most instances result in no appearance.
- 1 in 300+ Encounter Odds – Combining the base catch and spawn rates gives less than a 0.33% chance of a successful encounter.
- Perfect Catch Odds: 2.2% – Even with a Golden Razz Excellent Curveball, the maximum catch chance is still only around 2%.
As you can see, encountering this Pokemon at all is extremely unlikely. And catching it is even more daunting with abysmal base rates. Keep reading for tips to overcome the odds.
Finding Galarian Articuno
The only way to potentially encounter a Galarian Articuno is by using Daily Adventure Incense. This special incense will spawn rare Pokemon around you for 15 minutes.
Galarian Articuno randomly appears as one of these spawns. But even with incense activated, your actual odds of seeing one pop up are near zero – estimated at less than 0.5%.
I recommend having Daily Adventure Incense active anytime you are out exploring areas with lots of PokeStops. This maximizes your chances of getting lucky with a Galarian Articuno spawn.
Stay vigilant during the entire 15 minutes since it can vanish as quickly as it appears. Make sure to keep plenty of Ultra Balls in stock along with Golden Razz Berries.
Optimizing Your Catch Strategy
If you are blessed with a Galarian Articuno spawn, you‘ll want to capitalize on this incredibly rare opportunity.
Here are some tips to maximize your odds of catching it:
- Golden Razz Berry – Feeding it one of these berries before throwing will drastically improve your odds.
- Curveball Throw – Curveballs give an inherent 1.7x catch bonus over regular Poke Balls.
- Excellent Throw – Landing an excellent curveball gives you the maximum chance.
- Platinum Medal – Having the Dark or Flying type catch medals at Platinum level boosts the catch rate.
- Patience – Take your time to land Excellent curveball throws and don‘t get flustered.
- Circle Locking – Consider looking up this advanced technique to gain control over the catch circle.
| Throw Type | Estimated Catch Rate |
|---|---|
| Regular Poke Ball | 0.4% |
| Nice Curveball | 1.1% |
| Great Curveball | 1.7% |
| Excellent Curveball | 2.2% |
Even with excellent technique, the odds are stacked heavily against you. Having other players join to maximize your number of Premier Balls can help too. Don‘t get discouraged if it flees – it will likely take many tries to successfully catch Galarian Articuno.
Trading and Costs
Due to its sheer rarity, Galarian Articuno is an exceptionally valuable Pokémon for trading. Here are some estimated costs:
| Friendship Level | Estimated Stardust Cost |
|---|---|
| Good Friends | 800,000 |
| Great Friends | 600,000 |
| Ultra Friends | 400,000 |
| Best Friends | 40,000 |
Expect to trade multiple shinies or other Legendary Pokémon for one – if you can even find someone willing to part with it! Its trade value will remain high until more distribution events increase the supply.
Final Tips and Wrap Up
I hope this guide has prepared you to take on the challenge of hunting elusive Galarian Articuno. To recap the key points:
- Activate Daily Adventure Incense anytime you will be out exploring to slightly boost spawn odds
- Stock up on Ultra Balls and Golden Razz to maximize catch chances
- Focus on Excellent curveball throws and have patience if it flees
- Trade with Best Friends to minimize astronomical stardust costs
- Understand the abysmal base catch and spawn rates going in so you aren‘t too disappointed
While daunting, catching this unbelievably rare Dark Legendary bird is an incredible accomplishment. Let me know if you have any other questions about finding and catching Galarian Articuno!
