Lugia is undoubtedly one of the most iconic Legendaries in the franchise and is a highly sought-after catch in Pokémon GO.
It’s also one of the toughest Raid bosses to beat thanks to its incredible bulk. With trainers always up for a challenge and a powerhouse up for grabs, many invest Stardust and Candy XLs on Lugia without a second thought.
So, just how meta-relevant Lugia is right now? Does it fulfil any unique niche in combat or has it fallen from grace in recent times? We’ll unpack Lugia’s battle chops in PvE and PvP but first, let’s take a look into the basics.
Lugia Stats & Matchups
Lugia
Psychic
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| Max CP at lvl 40 4186 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max CP at lvl 50 3703 | |||||
| ATK 193 | DEF 310 | HP 235 | |||
| Weak to | Resistances | ||||
| Dark Electric Ghost Ice Rock | Fighting Ground Grass Psychic | ||||
Lugia is insanely bulky, boasting a formidable DEF stat as well as a good HP stat to boot. Its ATK is relatively underwhelming but nothing to sneeze at honestly. It still kind of works but no points for guessing, it isn’t a top-notch attacker by any means.
Its resistances are handy, with the Fighting type coming in clutch occasionally since Fighting type Pokémon usually have great offensive stats and Lugia’s tankiness just adds to the fun.
As such, Lugia’s bulk and ability to do super-effective damage can give it a slot in your counters unless you have a high IV Mega Rayquaza or are out of viable types like Moltres, Staraptor, and Mega Evolutions of Pidgeot and even Salamence. The meta isn’t as vast as many other types and more often than not, Mega Rayquaza is all you need.
Lugia Moveset in Pokémon GO
| Fast Moves | Charge Moves |
|---|---|
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*Can only be taught using an Elite Charged TM
Lugia in PvE
The problem with Lugia is quite evident here… it is missing a type Fast Move. Funnily enough, the game is full of Pokémon without a STAB Fast or Charge attack to use.
Think Mega Salamence and Dragonite without a Fast attack, Mega Charizard Y without a Charge attack, and in the same vein, Lugia is also missing that key Fast Attack.
And yes, despite its low ATK, Lugia would have functioned decently well thanks to the jaw-dropping Aeroblast, its signature move.
Aeroblast deals a whopping 180 DMG, which Lugia, and particularly its Shadow version, love! That’s not all as the infamous Aeroblast++ wielded by the mighty Purified Apex Lugia is THE STRONGEST Charged attack in Pokémon GO with a mind-boggling 225 DMG. This earns it a well-earned slot in your squad.
With Dragon Tail in tow and the ‘winds’ in your favor, you can punish Dragon type targets like Mega Sceptile, Alolan Exeggutor, Kommo-o, and upcoming stalwarts like Koraidon, and the Applin family.
As a Psychic type attacker, Lugia is underwhelming even with a complete Psychic moveset simply because Extrasensory and Future Sight are a painfully slow duo. Also, while Mega Rayquaza and Moltres are the only scary type competitors, the Psychic department includes high-octane damage powerhouses like Mewtwo, Mega Alakazam, Mega Gradevoir, Azelf, Espeon, and upcoming mons like Mega Mewtwo Y and X, and Calyrex – Shadow Rider.
In a nutshell, Aeroblast is too OP of a move that establishes Lugia as a serviceable attacker despite lacking a Fast attack of this type. On the other hand, it is too underwhelming of a Psychic type attacker to really matter.
Ultimately, use Lugia if you’re desperate but not otherwise, or Psychic.
Lugia in PvP
Lugia with its bulk-oriented stats and extremely high stat product is a PvP Pokémon through and through and has been a staple in the GO Battle League, flexing its prowess in the Master League in particular.
However, whiile it was once a staple in PvP, it has slipped down the ranks now. The main reason behind this downfall is Sky Attack’s nerf in GBL Season 20. While its damage has increased from 75 to 85, its energy cost has also increased from 50 to 55. Unfortunately for Lugia, its go-to Fast move, Dragon Tail, isn’t exactly the fastest move. As a result, it’s now way too dependent on Fast move damage, and while Dragon Tail hits hard, remember that Lugia lacks Dragon STAB.
With its primary move going for a loss, Lugia is nowhere as dominant as before.
We’ll stick to the Master League where Lugia does its best, and also because:
- Altaria, Skarmory, and Noctowl, despite facing nerfs themselves are still better and cheaper options than Lugia. Plus, these three have better moves overall
- Lugia does okayish in the Ultra League but threats like Giratina, Umbreon, Registeel, etc make it a struggle for Lugia to make an impact in this format. It was pretty good earlier but the Sky Attack nerf hits its prospects
Which brings us to the Master League…
Lugia is a nice Pokémon to use in the Master League, and even after the nerfs, it can beat heavyweights like Zygarde Complete Forme, Dragonite, Garchomp, Palkia Origin, Giratina Origin, Landorus Therian, Primarina, and Ho-Oh.
However, some of the favorites in Master League, including Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings Necrozma, Yveltal, Togekiss, Dialga, Dialga Origin, Mud-Slap Rhyperior, and Mewtwo to name a few, all manage to tear Lugia down to size.
So, while Lugia can take on a supportive role, tank hits, and function as a safe switch-in, it’s not as effective as it was before. It can trouble Dragon types and that’s one way to fit it on your ML teams, but keep in mind that it struggles against the ever-present Steel types and the biggest threats the meta has to offer.
Conclusion
Lugia is a nice Pokémon to capture from Raids but both its Shadow and Apex forms are far superior options.
In PvE, it’s severely outclassed both as a Psychic and type but can become viable with a Fast move. It learns Air Slash and Gust in the mainline games!
It’s still a respectable threat in the Master League but drops down from its previous exploits due to the Sky Attack energy nerf.
With hopes of a -type Fast Move that improves its showing in PvE (it doesn’t change PvP performance) and the fact that it’s so bulky, don’t hesitate hunting a Shundo Lugia. It will remain a neat pick for the Master League.
All the best, trainers!
