Pokemon Go player reveals how to catch 5-Star Raid boss without excellent throw

Jessica Filby
Pokemon Go Raid catch

One Pokemon Go player has revealed how fans can catch those 5-Star Raid bosses without even needing to land an excellent throw.

When it comes to Pokemon Go, many fans will already know that the 5-Star Raid bosses are tough. You’ll need the right counters, powerful Pokemon, and enough fellow players to really take it down. If you’re lucky enough to do this, then you’re instantly met with a different problem, actually catching the boss for your own Pokedex.

Many will attempt to use an excellent throw to catch the slippery Pokemon, while others will throw as many berries at it as they can, to improve their chances. Now, one player has discovered a key way to catch the boss without needing an Excellent throw.

Pokemon Go player shows how to catch raid boss without using excellent throw

Zapdos raid from Pokemon Go trailer.

Sharing their discovery on Reddit, one Pokemon Go player highlighted how other players can catch raid bosses without the tricky throw.

“What you see is, the most important things you can do, in order of importance are: Use a Golden Razz. Always. Get Bonus Balls. You get extra for raiding with friends, teammates, and taking the boss down quick. At 18, it’s as good as a second Golden Razz by your last ball. Curveball….Throw the ball at the smallest circle you can reliably hit…Upgrade your medals.”

Following those instructions will give players “between a 27.8% and 34.7% chance” on the last throw, and given they are consistently using that technique, should grab the boss by the time they reach that last ball.

Essentially, as explained by the poster “consistently hitting Great on Raid Bosses is more important than occasionally hitting excellents if you miss the circle the other times.”

The technique is widely used by many veteran players, and has often proved successful, even if fans didn’t know the maths behind it: “I loved every word of this! Thank you! I definitely do not hit excellent throws ever. But I have caught 4/6 Thundurus. I didn’t know any of the tips or math, but I knew it was possible.”

Others took to the comments to post their own ideas about increasing the odds: “You forgot the ‘pretend you don’t care whether it goes in the ball’ method” joked one user.

While pretending you don’t care may not have any specific ramifications, the Great throws certainly do and could help you in your next raid.

About The Author

Based in Cumbria, England, Jessica is a Senior Games Writer who joined Dexerto after stints at Game Rant and The Gamer. You can find her covering everything from Minecraft, CoD, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Pokemon Go and more. You can contact Jessica at jessica.filby@dexerto.com