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A Tornadus Pokémon GO guide is something that I have been looking for recently. But then I thought, why look for one guide when I can put all of the info that I needed into a guide to help others? Tornadus has become a somewhat controversial Pokémon over the last couple of years, primarily due to a research task involving him. But that shouldn’t deter those who have him from enjoying this twister.
Who is Tornadus in Pokémon GO?
- Type – Flying
- Base Attack – 266 (Incarnate), 238 (Therian)
- Base Defense – 164 (Incarnate), 189 (Therian)
- Base Stamina -188 (Incarnate), 188 (Therian)
- Max CP – 3,345 (Incarnate), 3,215 (Therian)
Tornadus’ name describes him well. He is one of the three legendary Forces of Nature. Like Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres are the Legendary Birds, Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus are the Forces of Nature. When flying – in either form – Tornadus can fly at 200 mph. To put this into perspective, most aircraft fly at around 400-500mph. However, Pidgeot can travel at Mach 2 speed, which is twice the speed of sound.
While Tornadus isn’t top tier, he is a great one to add to your collection. Especially since he is necessary for one of the research tasks that many players get stuck on due to his limited availability.
Different Tornadus Forms
There are two forms of Tornadus in Pokémon GO. While he can’t transform at will – each Tornadus state is permanent – there are two different Tornadus’ that you can capture. Do you have both of them? In case you’re wondering, although I completed the research task, I still don’t have a Tornadus. Although I have a dozen or more Landorus’, I never caught a Tornadus. Funny how things work out sometimes.
Therian
- CP without Weather Boost – 1756 – 1837 CP at Level 20
- CP with Weather Boost – 2196 – 2296 CP at Level 25
The Therian form of Tornadus looks like a bird with a long strip of cloud on its back. His fast moves are Gust and Astonish, while he has four possible charge moves – Hurricane, Psychic, Heat Wave, and Focus Blast. Since all four of his charge moves are different types, Therian Tornadus is very diverse. Since he is a Flying-type, Gust and Hurricane gain STAB, making them ideal for attacking with Tornadus.
Incarnate
- CP without Weather Boost – 1828 – 1911 CP at Level 20
- CP with Weather Boost – 2285 – 2389 CP at Level 25
Tornadus’ Incarnate form looks like a genie with a cloud as his lower half. His fast moves are Bite and Air Slash, while his charge moves are Grass Knot, Hyper Beam, Dark Pulse, and Hurricane. His charge moves are entirely different types than in his other form. Grass Knot is a decent choice for his charge move solely because Tornadus’ counters are weak against Grass.
Is Incarnate or Therian Tornadus Better?
Incarnate and Therian Tornadus aren’t different enough to compare fairly. The Incarnate Toradus has a higher attack, while the Therian version has higher defense. They have the same stamina. As for abilities, I prefer Therian’s abilities as they cover a gap in my party. But both have decent charge moves, so it really depends on what type you need to round off your party of Pokémon.
Finally, CP. Incarnate has ever-so-slightly higher base CP. This isn’t enough to matter, but if you want as high CP as possible, then a perfect IV Incarnate will get you the best CP.
How to Get Tornadus in Pokémon GO
There have only ever been three ways to get either form of Tornadus. Only one of these methods is available at all times in the game if you have the right opportunity. The others you have to wait for.
Go Battle League
A few times in 2020, 2021, and early 2022, Tornadus appeared as one of the Pokémon you could get from competing in the Go Battle League. This could happen again soon, so keep an eye out for rewards. You can do this by clicking on the wild Pokémon icon on the Battle League screen and you can see the Pokémon that may appear once you receive the reward. The Pokémon you encounter are random within these choices.
Raid Battles
In 2020 and 2021, Landorus appeared as one of the Pokémon that hatched from Raid eggs. The Therian form appeared in Raid battles earlier in 2022 but hasn’t been available since. It is very possible that he will return, as most Raid Bosses return eventually, but this has not been confirmed. Don’t expect him to be a Raid Boss every year, but be on the lookout for updates.
Trade
The easiest way to get Landorus is to get someone to trade him. If you don’t know anyone personally with Landorus, you’ll have to use third-party means. This can be a Facebook group or app on your phone. However, if the person trading you doesn’t live nearby, they will encourage location spoofing. This is a bannable offense so tread carefully when doing this unless you’re okay with your account getting banned temporarily.
Best Pokémon to Counter Tornadus
Because Tornadus is only a Flying-type Pokémon, he is easy to counter. Dual-type Pokémon are more difficult to counter unless the two types overlap with a stronger weakness. However, there are specific Pokémon that I believe are super counters to Tornadus. These Pokémon have little to no weakness against the possible move sets that Tornadus will have when you battle him.
Zekrom
- Type – Dragon/Electric
Zekrom is a solid choice in battle. He isn’t weak against any of Tornadus’ moves and is actually resistant to most of them. Any of his Electric-type moves will be super effective against Tornadus. If you had three or four Zekrom against a Raid Boss Tornadus, it would be a quick battle. When it comes to PvP Tornadus, you don’t want to overload your party with Electric-type as it will leave you vulnerable.
Thundurus
- Type – Electric/Flying
Another great option is either of Thundurus’ forms. Since you should use the Electric moves, either form will work fine. Ensure that you have Thunder Shock or Thunderbolt for ultimate damage. There’s also something poetic about having Thundurus fight his brother. Even if he doesn’t have the ideal moves – if you don’t have the means to change TMs – I still love to watch this fight.
Mega Manectric
- Type – Electric
Mega Manectric will do loads of damage to Tornadus. Thunder Fang and Wild Charge are ideal, but any Electric moves will do. Be sure not to mega-evolve Manectric too soon, or else he will devolve before the battle. I know that not everyone has a Manectric, let alone the means to mega evolve one. But if you can, this may be your best bet because he does so much damage, and he doesn’t have any weakness against Tornadus.
Ramparados
- Type – Rock
Ramparados isn’t the best option because he is weak against Grass, so Grass Knot could be the end of you. However, he will also do loads of damage early on, so you may be able to avoid a charge move. However, if you are short on options and your Ramparodos has high CP, then he is not a bad choice. Just make sure he has Rock moves, or else the risk is far greater than the reward.
Mega Aerodactyl
- Type – Rock/Flying
Mega Aerodactyl doesn’t just look cool; he is a strong Pokémon in any instance. He is weak against five different types, but not against any type that Tornadus can put out. So you’re safe using him. In short, Mega Aerodactyl isn’t ideal in random PvP battles, but against a Raid Boss Tornadus, he can be an efficient choice. So use that Mega Aerodactyl stone and get to work.
Rhyperior
- Type – Ground/Rock
I love Rhyperior. He was the first Pokémon I had in GO that reached 3000CP, so I may be a little biased. However, as long as Tornadus doesn’t have Grass Knot, you will be safe against his attacks.
Since Rhyorn has been around since launch – in significant amounts in some areas – most people who have been playing a while have Rhyperior. I mention him because of this as it may be the best option from your caught Pokémon.
Shadow Pokémon Against Tornadus
Shadow Pokémon are special Pokémon that you can get from Team Rocket. I always purify mine to preserve candy/stardust and have a more well-rounded Pokémon. But keeping them as they are can be advantageous. If you’re not sure whether you should purify the Shadow Pokémon or not, then hold off. Don’t purify and don’t evolve. Take each Pokémon on independently, and don’t blanket your decisions.
Shadow Mamoswine and Shadow Tyranitar- Do Not Attempt
I understand that Shadow Mamoswine and Shadow Tyranitar are strong and are Ice-type/Rock-type, respectively. But they have too many weaknesses that coincide with Tornadus’ attacks. Instead, choose a non-shadow Ice or Rock Pokémon.
There are other Shadow Pokémon that can work against
Shadow Raikou – Top Shadow Pick
Raikou – even if not a Shadow version – is a good choice against Tornadus. His DPS is similar to Mega Manectric, so if you don’t have the means to get a Mega Manectric, then you can hopefully get Shadow Raikou. To get Shadow Raikou, you have to battle Giovanni and save his Shadow Raikou. He was first released in 2020, and I don’t recall if he has been available via Giovanni since then. If you want one, you may have to trade.
Tornadus Research Task
The Tornadus research task has been a nightmare for thousands of players. There’s a quest line called Seasons of Legends that involves a Tornadus that was present during a particular event. During the third stage of the research task, you have to catch ten Flying Pokémon, five weather-boosted Pokémon and take a snapshot of Tornadus. The first two happen over time, but the last one is deliberate.
Many people – including people I know – are stuck on this task. While others got their Tornadus via Go Battle League or Raids, others weren’t so lucky. There are now only two ways to complete this task. They can either trade someone who is willing to part with the legendary, or they can wait for another Raid season featuring Tornadus. This is really unfortunate since neither of these opportunities is guaranteed to happen.
FAQs
Question: Is Tornadus Good in Pokémon GO?
Answer: Tornadus isn’t the best Pokémon for combat. Fcollecting him is great, but compared to other similar Pokémon, he is lacking as both an attacker and defender. It doesn’t help that he is only Flying-type.
Question: Is Tornadus Coming Back to Pokémon GO?
Answer: I don’t know. There is no way to know if Tornadus is coming back unless the developers announce that it is. They don’t usually announce upcoming Pokémon until right before an event.
Question: How do I Catch Tornadus?
Answer: If you happen upon a Raid with Tornadus, then you can catch him with the premier balls given to you have the Raid. Feed him berries and be careful not to waste any balls.
Question: What are the other Forces of Nature?
Answer: To accompany Tornadus, Thundurus and Landorus are the three Forces of Nature. Landorus represents the land, Tornadus the heavens, and Thundurus the space between.
Question: Which Pokémon is the fourth Force of Nature?
Answer: Enamorous is the most recent Force of Nature. She represents harvest and fertility, as well as love. She is the humanity and spirituality that connects the other three and gives them meaning.
Is Tornadus Worth It in Pokémon GO?
Tornadus may be a legendary Pokémon, but not all legendaries are created equally. Tornadus is worth adding to your Pokedex, but he’s not going to be a Pokémon that you want on your team. It would be fun to have all three Forces of Nature on a team for the aesthetics, and I’m all for it. But you’d be better off with the stronger legendaries like Mewtwo, Rayquaza, and Kyogre.
Like I always say, though – choose your own path. If you want to go anti-meta, then I encourage it. I praise those who are brave enough to go against the grain and make their ideal team, not the internet’s.
