Celesteela is a Steel- and Flying-type Ultra Beast originating from another world. High energy readings can be detected from both of its huge arms, and it’s been observed flying across the sky at incredible speed. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Celesteela, how to catch Celesteela after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Ultra Beast after you’ve caught it.

Which Pokémon to Use in a Celesteela Raid in Pokémon GO

As a Steel- and Flying-type Ultra Beast, Celesteela is vulnerable to Fire- and Electric-type attacks. When selecting Pokémon for your Celesteela Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that have a Fast Attack and a Charged Attack of one of these types if you want to deal as much damage as possible. It’s not necessary to choose only Fire- or Electric-type Pokémon, but a Pokémon that shares a type with these attacks will benefit from a same-type attack bonus, which will allow these attacks to deal an additional 20% damage.

If you have multiple Pokémon that know Fire- or Electric-type attacks, choose the Pokémon with the highest CP and best overall stats. Remember that speed of victory effects how many Premier Balls you will receive at the conclusion of a successful Raid Battle, so bring your strongest Pokémon and defeat Celesteela as quickly as possible.

• Mega Charizard Y (Fire/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Air Slash (Flying), Ember (Fire), Fire Spin (Fire), Wing Attack (Flying)

  • Charged Attack: Blast Burn (Fire), Fire Blast (Fire), Flamethrower (Fire), Overheat (Fire)

• Arcanine / Shadow Arcanine (Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Fang (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Fire Blast (Fire), Flamethrower (Fire)

• Moltres / Shadow Moltres (Fire/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Spin (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Fire Blast (Fire), Heat Wave (Fire), Overheat (Fire)

• Typhlosion / Shadow Typhlosion (Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Ember (Fire), Incinerate (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Blast Burn (Fire), Fire Blast (Fire), Overheat (Fire)

• Houndoom / Mega Houndoom (Dark/Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Fang (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Fire Blast (Fire), Flamethrower (Fire)

• Entei / Shadow Entei (Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Fang (Fire), Fire Spin (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Flame Charge (Fire), Flamethrower (Fire), Fire Blast (Fire), Overheat (Fire)

• Ho-Oh / Shadow Ho-Oh (Fire/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Incinerate (Fire), Steel Wing (Steel)

  • Charged Attack: Fire Blast (Fire), Sacred Fire (Fire)

• Reshiram (Dragon/Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Fang (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Overheat (Fire)

• Zapdos / Shadow Zapdos (Electric/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Charge Beam (Electric), Thunder Shock (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Ancient Power (Rock), Thunder (Electric), Thunderbolt (Electric), Zap Cannon (Electric)

• Mega Ampharos (Electric/Dragon)

  • Fast Attack: Charge Beam (Electric), Volt Switch (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Thunder Punch (Electric), and Zap Cannon (Electric)

• Raikou / Shadow Raikou (Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Thunder Shock (Electric), Volt Switch (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Thunderbolt (Electric), Wild Charge (Electric)

• Manectric / Mega Manectric (Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Charge Beam (Electric), Snarl (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Wild Charge (Electric)

• Magnezone / Shadow Magnezone (Electric/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Charge Beam (Electric), Spark (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Wild Charge (Electric), Zap Cannon (Electric)

• Electivire / Shadow Electivire (Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Thunder Shock (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Thunder Punch (Electric), Wild Charge (Electric)

• Therian Forme Thundurus (Electric/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Thunder Shock (Electric), Volt Switch (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Thunderbolt (Electric), Thunder Crunch (Electric)

• Zekrom (Dragon/Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Charge Beam (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Flash Cannon (Steel), Wild Charge (Electric)

Make the Most of Premier Balls and Berries

After a successful Celesteela raid, you’ll have a limited number of Premier Balls you can use to catch Celesteela, so make each one count. You can earn extra Premier Balls by battling with friends and defeating Celesteela more quickly.

In an encounter with Celesteela, your chance of catching it is greatest when the target ring is small enough for you to score Excellent Throws. Throwing Curveballs can improve your chances even more. But work within your abilities—if you don’t think you can reliably make Excellent Curveball Throws, aim for Nice Throws or Great Throws rather than risk missing the target ring completely.

Celesteela isn’t going to make it easy on you by sitting still while you’re trying to catch it. Don’t waste your Premier Balls by throwing while it’s moving around. Watch the Ultra Beast to get a feel for its cycle of movement and the pauses in between the cycles. During one of these pauses, wait for the target ring to reappear, and then throw as it starts to grow smaller to increase your odds of making a Great Throw or an Excellent Throw.

Berries can help you catch Celesteela. A Razz Berry will make it easier to catch, and a Golden Razz Berry will make it much easier to catch. If you find yourself failing to land any throws, a Nanab Berry will calm Celesteela, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Celesteela Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Celesteela easier to catch and grant you extra Candy when you catch it.

Buddy Pokémon with a Buddy Level of Great Buddy or higher have the Catch Assist Perk. If a Pokémon—even an Ultra Beast—deflects a Poké Ball, your buddy might bounce it back for a second catch opportunity!

Like all Ultra Beasts, Celesteela is tricky to catch, so don’t be discouraged if it escapes. Get a second wind by stocking up on useful items—like Max Potions, Max Revives, and Golden Razz Berries—and try again.

What to Do with Celesteela Once You’ve Caught It

As a Steel- and Flying-type Pokémon, Celesteela is resistant to Normal-, Grass-, Poison-, Ground-, Flying-, Psychic-, Bug-, Dragon-, Steel-, and Fairy-type attacks. This solid list of resistances, along with its uncommon dual typing, makes Celesteela a valuable contribution to raids. Its broad array of attack types allows it to effectively target a wide range of Pokémon.

Skarmory is a popular GO Battle League Pokémon within the Great League and Ultra League, and it shares types with Celesteela, so you’d think Celesteela would be a useful addition to the same GO Battle League lineups. Yet, Celesteela should have the strongest impact within the Ultra League, as its CP is too high for the Great League and it just doesn’t have the necessary stats to compete effectively in the Master League. However, Skarmory requires a lot of Candy and Stardust to get in fighting shape for the Ultra League, so Celesteela may be a great alternative for Trainers who don’t want to invest the time and resources to power up their Skarmory—though Skarmory does boast greater bulk than Celesteela.

Every Pokémon you use in the GO Battle League should have access to a second Charged Attack. Celesteela has a wide range of attack types, so there’s room to choose the best moves for your strategy and lineup. While Air Slash, Heavy Slam, and Iron Head all benefit from a same-type attack bonus, that doesn’t mean that these are the best choices. The Ground-type Bulldoze is an excellent counter to Electric-type Pokémon, which are one of Celesteela’s vulnerabilities. The Normal-type Body Slam is another Charged Attack that’s certainly worth considering for your Ultra League Celesteela.

Powering up Celesteela and teaching it a second Charged Attack requires a fair amount of Candy and Stardust, so be sure to participate in as many raids as possible—and remember to use Pinap Berries or Silver Pinap Berries to maximize the amount of Celesteela Candy you earn.

Good luck with your next Raid Battle, and remember to check Pokemon.co.uk/Strategy for more Pokémon GO, video game, and Pokémon TCG tips.