My strategy for catching legendary Pokėmons

Started by Raythegamer September 19th, 2015 3:53 PM
  • 3667 views
  • 33 replies
  • Public Poll

How do you think of my catching strategy?

Raythegamer

Legendary Gamer

Male
Why should you care?
Seen September 23rd, 2015
Posted September 19th, 2015
8 posts
7.7 Years
Poké Balls I bring:20x Poke balls,20x Great Balls,20x Ultra Balls,10x Dive Balls,10x Quick Balls,10x Timer balls

Strategy:First turn:Use quick ball
If Pokemon escape,
Use ultra balls until no shakes
If no shakes
Use great balls until no shakes
If no shakes
Use Poke balls until there is at least 2 shakes
If 2 shakes
Use great balls until there is at least 2 shakes
If 2 shakes
Use ultra balls until no shakes
If 20 turns and Pokemon still not caught
Use Timer Balls

What's your catching strategy?

LilyGardy

The Flowering Pokemon

Female
Celadon Gym
Seen 2 Days Ago
Posted January 28th, 2023
4,476 posts
7.8 Years
Put it to sleep, get it to red health and throw a Dusk Ball, if it wakes up put it to sleep again. I find Dusk Balls to be the best balls for catching Legendaries.

I also carry Timer Balls for difficult Catches.
Currently playing - Omega Ruby Grass Monotype

Otamajakushi

Kuuuuuuu ku ku ku...

Age 33
Male
Seen February 18th, 2017
Posted February 18th, 2017
1,427 posts
7.7 Years
Well I think with any strategy, there's always room for improvement.

Usually what I do is this process:
  1. Save before initiating the battle.
  2. Toss a Quick Ball, just in case it works.
  3. Either False Swipe down to 1HP, or whittle it down to <5% HP.
  4. Toss Ultra Balls
  5. Over it? Toss Timer Balls, otherwise keep chucking Ultra Balls.
  6. Starts to struggle? Reset and return to step 1.

My False Swipers don't do status effects, but if they could, I would paralyze it.

天 (Caine)

Flower Child

Age 31
Male
Vice City
Seen December 25th, 2016
Posted October 17th, 2016
452 posts
7.7 Years
I've always done it like this.

1) Quick Ball, use it with your fingers crossed
2) Put it to sleep
3) Get its health in the red
4) Ultra balls, ultra balls, ultra balls
5) Timer Ball every ten turns

I also hold A+B for good luck. It's simple, but it works.

Sopheria

響け〜 響け!

深き海の彼方
Seen July 19th, 2022
Posted December 17th, 2017
4,904 posts
9.5 Years
My strategy, use a level 100 Gallade who knows the following:

Hypnosis (to put it to sleep)
False Swipe (to bring it down to 1 HP)
Mean Look (only necessary if it's a roaming Poke)

I use Gallade for this since it's the only Pokemon that can learn this combination of moves. I've been using the same Gallade as my trusty Pokemon catching partner since Gen 4 ^_^

Also, it helps to throw a Quick Ball the first turn. It has a x5 bonus when you throw it on the first turn of battle, which is higher than what any of the basic Pokeballs do. So it's always worth a try the first time :)
Paired with Dragon and Koakuma

Aisu

S Florida
Seen March 4th, 2018
Posted March 2nd, 2018
1,863 posts
11.5 Years
I start off with that Quick Ball and a quick prayer to Arceus

I whittle the Pokemon's HP down to red and, if possible, give it a status affliction

I start off with Ultra Balls; I always have thirty of them on hand, and if they don't work, Timer Balls

If it still isn't captured, try try again

Crystal Berry

Crystal Mistress

Female
United States
Seen January 7th, 2020
Posted December 19th, 2019
720 posts
7.7 Years
Ultra balls are quite terrible. The only reason they're used so much is because of convenience, but sadly there's nothing 'ultra' about their 2x catch rate. If you have the money you're probably not going to find much better options easily, so sure buy them.

Heavy Balls are a godsend for catching most legendary Pokemon, but sadly you can't find them in most of the games and will have to trade from HG/SS I believe. Quick Balls are ok during first turn, but not likely to capture a full health legendary. I wouldn't recommend them. Dusk Balls are very good since many legendary Pokemon live in caves, so stock up on those. Repeat ball is good if you have the legendary you're facing in your Pokedex already.

I would say Timer Ball is the best easy to obtain Pokeball so make sure you buy a lot of those, then weaken the Legendary Pokemon as much as you can without killing it and just stall around for 10 or more turns (while throwing Ultra Balls relentlessly if you don't care about wasting money). It also helps if you can manage to put the Pokemon to sleep or freeze it. Other status effects are fine too.

KetsuekiR

Ridiculously unsure

Male
Somewhere you couldn't possibly know.
Seen November 24th, 2021
Posted June 24th, 2020
2,493 posts
9.2 Years
I'd have to agree with most people and say I'd start out with a Quick Ball for the fun of it (works on Xerneas/Yvetal :P) and then proceed to put to sleep/paralysis if I don't something to induce sleep and then false swipe it down to 1 HP. However, at this point, I agree with Crystal Berry and say ultra balls aren't all that ultra. I tend to use a lot of dusk balls since if it's not in a cave, there's always night time. I also like timer balls since at one point, the catch rate is ridiculously high with them.
Image by Marmoset

khaozz

Peace sells, but who's buying?

Male
Seen November 26th, 2018
Posted November 26th, 2018
3,199 posts
9.8 Years
If you have Capture Power (preferably Lv3), use it. It make captures so much easier. I agree with using a Quick Ball at the beginning of a turn. It can help. I also agree with Dusk Ball over Ultra Ball. Unless you want the legendary in a matching ball, Dusk Ball is probably the best ball to use (barring the Master Ball). Timer Balls also work great if the battle gets dragged out.

My preferred strategy is bringing a high level Smeargle with the following moves:
Spore (it's the best Sleep move in the game, thanks to 100 accuracy)/Dark Void (for Grass types)
False Swipe (self-explanatory)
Then pick two of these:
Swords Dance (its Attack is not that high; mostly for legends with Recover so it can get back to 1HP faster)/Glare/Thunder Wave (for those immune to Sleep)/Foresight (for Ghosts)/Mean Look (for Roamers in past gens)/Trick (hold a Leppa Berry to prevent Struggle)/filler

Name: Shadow
Adopt one yourself! @Pokémon Orphanage

"The circumstances of ones' birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are."
-Mewtwo


NidoKingdra

Envy The Dead

Age 29
Male
They'll never find me. \|.-.|/
Seen May 14th, 2021
Posted December 9th, 2017
213 posts
13.8 Years
Uhh... false swipe/hold back. Status move. Bingo. Catches most things without trouble. Legendaries, it's usually just whittle them down or make sure you don't OHKO them, then status move and go for the win.
I caught Deoxys in one or two balls. Ultra I think. I only hit him once with Mega Rayquaza? He was stupidly easy to catch or something, I was shocked.
Male
Seen January 28th, 2016
Posted September 23rd, 2015
8 posts
7.7 Years
1. I start a battle with a LV1 synchronize Ralts to help pass nature
2. I let it die then switch into my LV100 Smeargle with False Swipe, Soak, Taunt & Spore
3. I put it to sleep with Spore (soak so spore works on grass legends)
4. WIddle it down with False Swipes.
5. Then throw plenty of Premier Balls and success

PlatinumDude

Nyeh?

Age 29
Male
Canada
Seen July 31st, 2020
Posted May 30th, 2020
12,958 posts
12.7 Years
Simply put, the most effective way to catch legendaries is (and I used this for my legendary hunt):
-use the highest level Capture O-Power as possible
-weaken them (but try not to KO them), just like any other wild Pokemon
-status them, if possible; preferably sleep or paralysis (may need to rinse and repeat for sleep, as it wears off in several turns)
-spam Dusk Balls (at night or at caves), Ultra Balls (otherwise), or Net Balls (if target is Water type); switch to Timer Balls once 10 turns have passed

magicalgirlj

I liek Popplio

Female
Richmond VA
Seen February 8th, 2017
Posted January 14th, 2017
338 posts
8.4 Years
My strategy is
use false swipe
Thunder wave ( as long as it not ground)
chuck lots of ultra balls praying for a caputre
If many turns have passed and it is not caught yet then I start chucking timer balls
I caught Heatran in Alpha Sapphire on my second timer ball
One does not simply get too old for Pokemon
If everyone would stop wonder trading Zigazagoon's that would be great

blue

gucci

Male
United Kingdom
Seen September 26th, 2021
Posted August 7th, 2019
21,056 posts
15.4 Years
I'll try my best to get the HP as low as possible, then switch in with a Pokemon that has a status inflicting move. Spam the Ultra Balls until it's captured and job done. 8)

VisualJae

Spam Hyper Beam for days

Male
New York, NY
Seen October 27th, 2017
Posted September 12th, 2017
1,126 posts
7.6 Years
The "strategy" listed in the OP literally does nothing to help you, other than throwing a Quick Ball first.

All the standard balls (Poke Ball, Great, Ultra) have fixed multipliers and alternating them does absolutely nothing for you. It's RNG plain and simple.

1. Activate catching O Power.

2. Put a Synchronize ability Pokemon up front with the nature you want.

3. Throw a Quick Ball.

4. If that doesn't work, start using a Parasect with Spore/False Swipe. Or if you really went through the trouble, your best bet would be:
LV100 Smeargle with False Swipe, Soak, Taunt & Spore
...Though I'd give up Taunt for a recovery move in case stalling is required.

5. Use the most advantageous ball (likely not Ultra Balls). Usually would be Dusk Balls, Heavy Balls or Net Balls (water/bug legendaries) until Timer Balls can kick in.

Not that hard.
Age 33
Male
Bankstown
Seen January 3rd, 2017
Posted January 3rd, 2017
681 posts
13.7 Years
I remember struggling with Mewtwo a bit as a kid but I can honestly say I don't struggle against legendries to much.


I usually just have over 100 ultra balls use false swipe and then put the Pokemon to sleep and catch it. If it wakes up more than 3 times I usually just paralyze it I honestly never use more than 30 balls.


If false swipe can not hit the Pokemon I just use a move that gets it to red and then follow the original plan.
Credit for this signature and my profile pic goes to Ash

Bounsweet

Fruit Pokémon

Seen September 17th, 2018
Posted October 11th, 2017
2,102 posts
15.6 Years
I have a Breloom with False Swipe and Spore that's been pretty reliable. When I encounter legendaries, I usually have a Kirlia in the front of the party with the nature I want, and I have it get KO'd before the battle begins so I can lead with my Breloom. I got a Modest Kyogre with 4 perfect IVs within like 30 minutes using this method.

Sopheria

響け〜 響け!

深き海の彼方
Seen July 19th, 2022
Posted December 17th, 2017
4,904 posts
9.5 Years
In my second Deoxys encounter, I've found that using Spite to whittle down its Recovery PP to be quite helpful--I got it to run out PP pretty quickly. Pokemon such as Deoxys who know recovery are a particular pain to catch, so using a move like Spite (or even Grudge) on it makes things a whole lot easier!
Paired with Dragon and Koakuma

Hikamaru

Age 30
Female
Australia
Seen January 24th, 2019
Posted September 4th, 2018
50,214 posts
12.2 Years
I mostly used a Breloom with False Swipe, but there was one that the tactic failed on due to its low Sp. Defense (I think it might have been Cresselia which I only caught after six balls) but I did use Mega Sableye on one and it'd been quite effective at blocking Cresselia's attacks.
Gone forever for personal reasons.
Visit my Tumblr page if you wish to contact me.

http://daikenkki.tumblr.com/

Starry Windy

Everything will be Daijoubu.

Male
Liberty Garden
Seen April 28th, 2020
Posted April 28th, 2020
9,307 posts
10.4 Years
Lately I've been relying on using Quick Ball and trying to weakening the Pokémon's HP without KO-ing them, and then resort to using Ultra Ball. However, I would resort to using Breloom's Spore + False Swipe combo and utilizing Capture and Attack O-Power (because False Swipe is Physical move) if it comes to tougher Pokémon like Legendaries.