Shiny Landorus: Catch This Powerful Legendary Pokémon

Shiny Landorus is a rare variant of the Ground/Flying legendary Pokémon with orange-yellow coloration. It appears in both Incarnate and Therian Formes in Pokémon GO and mainline games.

What is Landorus?

Table of Contents

Landorus is a legendary Pokémon first introduced in Generation 5 (Pokémon Black and White). Known as the “Abundance Pokémon,” it is part of the legendary trio from the Unova region along with Tornadus and Thundurus, often referred to as the “Forces of Nature” or the “Genie Trio.” Landorus has two distinct forms: Incarnate Forme (the more humanoid appearance) and Therian Forme (which resembles a feline or tiger-like creature).

Basic Information

Landorus is a dual-type Ground/Flying Pokémon, standing at 1.5 meters (4’11”) tall and weighing 68.0 kg (149.9 lbs). This unique typing gives it some interesting defensive properties and makes it a formidable opponent in battles. According to Pokédex entries, Landorus is known as “The Guardian of the Fields” because lands visited by it grant bountiful crops. The energy that comes from its tail increases soil nutrition, making crops grow to great size.

Formes and Appearances

Landorus appears in two distinct formes:

Incarnate Forme: The default form of Landorus features a muscular, humanoid appearance with orange and white coloration. It has a long, cloud-like tail and appears to be floating on a small cloud. This forme is characterized by its more balanced stats.

Therian Forme: Introduced in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, the Therian Forme resembles a four-legged, tiger-like creature with an emphasis on physical attack. In this forme, Landorus has a more bestial appearance while maintaining its orange coloration and distinctive tail.

The Shiny variant of Landorus features a more yellow-orange body in its Incarnate Forme, while the Therian Forme Shiny has a lighter yellowy-orange body with a darker tail and true orange accents replacing the pink ones found in its regular form.

Landorus in the Main Series Games

In the main Pokémon games, Landorus is a powerful legendary Pokémon with impressive stats and movesets that make it valuable for competitive play.

Stats and Abilities

Landorus has excellent base stats in both of its formes:

Incarnate Forme:

HP: 89
Attack: 125
Defense: 90
Special Attack: 115
Special Defense: 80
Speed: 101
Total: 600

Therian Forme:

HP: 89
Attack: 145
Defense: 90
Special Attack: 105
Special Defense: 80
Speed: 91
Total: 600

The Incarnate Forme has more balanced offensive stats with higher Special Attack and Speed, while the Therian Forme has significantly higher physical Attack at the cost of some Special Attack and Speed.

For abilities, Incarnate Forme Landorus can have either Sand Force (which boosts the power of Rock, Ground, and Steel moves in a sandstorm) or Sheer Force as its hidden ability (which increases the power of moves with secondary effects by 33% but removes those effects). The Therian Forme has only one ability: Intimidate, which lowers the opponent’s Attack stat when Landorus enters battle.

Movesets and Strategy

Landorus has access to a wide variety of powerful moves that complement its typing and stats. Some of its notable moves include:

Physical Attacks:

Earthquake (100 power, 100% accuracy)
Stone Edge (100 power, 80% accuracy)
Rock Slide (75 power, 90% accuracy)
Hammer Arm (100 power, 90% accuracy)
Superpower (120 power, 100% accuracy)

Special Attacks:

Earth Power (90 power, 100% accuracy)
Extrasensory (80 power, 100% accuracy)
Sludge Bomb (90 power, 100% accuracy)
Focus Blast (120 power, 70% accuracy)

Status and Setup Moves:

Swords Dance (sharply raises Attack)
Rock Polish (sharply raises Speed)
Stealth Rock (sets up entry hazards)
U-turn (allows switching after attacking)

In competitive play, Therian Forme Landorus has been one of the most used Pokémon in the higher tiers due to its excellent offensive presence combined with Intimidate. It often runs a physically offensive set with Earthquake, Stone Edge, U-turn, and a coverage move or Swords Dance. Incarnate Forme is also strong, particularly with a mixed attacking set utilizing Sheer Force to boost moves like Earth Power and Sludge Bomb.

Where to Find Landorus

In the main series games, Landorus can be found in:

Black/White: Abundant Shrine (after obtaining both Tornadus and Thundurus)
Black 2/White 2: Not available directly, must be transferred
X/Y/Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire: Not available directly, must be transferred
Sun/Moon: Not available directly, must be transferred
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon: Ultra Space Wilds
Sword/Shield: Not available directly, must be transferred
Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl: Not available
Legends: Arceus: Ramanas Island

Landorus in Pokémon GO

Landorus has been a significant addition to Pokémon GO as a powerful legendary raid boss. Both its Incarnate and Therian Formes have appeared in the game, with distinct strengths and uses.

Obtaining Landorus in Pokémon GO

Landorus is available in Pokémon GO exclusively through five-star legendary raids that appear periodically during special events. The Incarnate Forme was introduced first, with the Therian Forme following later. Shiny Landorus has also been made available during certain raid events, though the chance of encountering one is relatively low (approximately 1/20 for legendary raid bosses).

When caught at level 20 (standard raid catch), Therian Forme Landorus has a CP range of 2151-2241. With weather boost (Sunny or Windy weather), it can be caught at level 25 with a CP range of 2688-2801.

Landorus Formes in Pokémon GO

Incarnate Forme:

More balanced stats
Useful in both PvP and PvE
Has access to the hidden ability Sheer Force in the main games (though abilities don’t directly translate to Pokémon GO)

Therian Forme:

Higher Attack stat
Considered the best Ground-type attacker in Pokémon GO (excluding Mega and Shadow Pokémon)
A true force of nature in both PvP and PvE

Landorus Therian Stats and CP

Landorus Therian has impressive stats in Pokémon GO:

Max CP at Level 40: 3922
Max CP at Level 50: 4434
Attack: 289
Defense: 179
HP: 205

These stats make it one of the strongest Ground-type attackers in the game, with its only weaknesses being to Ice and Water-type moves.

Movesets in Pokémon GO

Fast Moves:

Mud Shot (Ground): Excellent energy generation, allowing for frequent charged moves
Extrasensory (Psychic): Generally considered inferior to Mud Shot

Charged Moves:

Sandsear Storm (Ground): Signature move for Therian Forme Landorus, high damage
Earthquake (Ground): Landorus’s strongest move, devastating when paired with its high Attack stat
Bulldoze (Ground): Less powerful than Earthquake but still effective
Stone Edge (Rock): Powerful coverage move that can one-hit KO Ice-types
Superpower (Fighting): Cheapest charged move, can be spammed with Mud Shot

The optimal moveset for Landorus Therian in raids is typically Mud Shot combined with Earthquake, with Stone Edge as a secondary charged move for coverage.

Raiding Landorus in Pokémon GO

Landorus is a challenging but manageable raid boss in Pokémon GO. With proper counters and a small group of trainers, it can be defeated efficiently.

Raid Difficulty

Landorus Therian is considered the easiest of the Genie Trio to defeat in raids, despite being the most powerful. With its dual Ground/Flying typing, it has a double weakness to Ice-type moves, making it vulnerable to many common Ice-type Pokémon. Under ideal conditions, it can be beaten by just 2 trainers, though 3-5 trainers are recommended for most groups.

Best Counters for Landorus Raids

Due to Landorus’s double weakness to Ice, the best counters are powerful Ice-type attackers. Water-types are also effective due to their advantage against Ground-types. Here are some of the top counters:

Ice-type Counters:

Shadow Mamoswine with Powder Snow and Avalanche
Mamoswine with Powder Snow and Avalanche
Baxcalibur with Ice Fang and Avalanche
Mega Abomasnow with Powder Snow and Weather Ball
Shadow Articuno with Frost Breath and Triple Axel
Glaceon with Frost Breath and Avalanche
Galarian Darmanitan with Ice Fang and Avalanche
Weavile with Ice Shard and Triple Axel

Water-type Counters:

Primal Kyogre with Waterfall and Blizzard
Shadow Kyogre with Waterfall and Blizzard
Kyogre with Waterfall and Blizzard
Mega Swampert with Water Gun and Hydro Cannon
Mega Blastoise with Water Gun and Ice Beam

Other Strong Counters:

Shadow Mewtwo with Psycho Cut and Ice Beam
Mewtwo with Psycho Cut and Ice Beam
Mega Rayquaza with Dragon Tail and Dragon Ascent

When battling Landorus, be aware that it may have Stone Edge as a charged move, which is super effective against Ice-types. Having a diverse team can help mitigate this risk.

Shiny Landorus

Shiny Landorus is a coveted variant of this legendary Pokémon, featuring an alternate color scheme that distinguishes it from the regular version.

Appearance Differences

Incarnate Forme Shiny: The regular Incarnate Forme Landorus has an orange-reddish body with white cloud-like features. The Shiny variant has a more yellow-orange body, creating a subtle but noticeable difference.

Therian Forme Shiny: The regular Therian Forme has an orange body with pink accents. The Shiny version features a lighter, more yellow-orange body, a darker tail, and the pink accents become a true orange color.

How to Obtain Shiny Landorus

In Pokémon GO, Shiny Landorus can only be obtained through legendary raids during specific events when Landorus is featured as a raid boss with its Shiny form enabled. The odds of encountering a Shiny legendary in raids are approximately 1 in 20 (5%).

There is no way to tell if a Landorus is Shiny until after you’ve defeated it and reached the catching phase. This means that to maximize your chances of finding a Shiny Landorus, you should participate in as many Landorus raids as possible during the event period.

In the main series games, Shiny Landorus can be obtained through random encounter (with extremely low odds of 1/4096 in newer games) or through specific methods like Soft Resetting (repeatedly encountering the same Pokémon by saving before the encounter and resetting if it’s not Shiny).

Competitive Use of Landorus

Landorus, particularly its Therian Forme, has been a dominant force in competitive Pokémon battling since its introduction.

Landorus in VGC and Smogon Tiers

In the Video Game Championships (VGC), the official competitive format for Pokémon, Landorus-Therian has been one of the most-used Pokémon for multiple generations. Its combination of the Intimidate ability (which lowers opponents’ Attack upon entry), excellent typing, and strong movepool makes it incredibly versatile.

In Smogon’s competitive tiers, Landorus-Therian has consistently been in the OU (Overused) tier, often as one of the most common Pokémon. Its Incarnate Forme has also seen use in the OU tier, particularly with sets that leverage its Sheer Force ability.

Common Competitive Sets

Therian Forme – Defensive Pivot:

Item: Rocky Helmet or Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Impish (+ Defense, – Special Attack)
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Moves: Earthquake, U-turn, Stealth Rock, Toxic/Knock Off

This set utilizes Landorus’s natural bulk combined with Intimidate to act as a defensive pivot, setting up Stealth Rock and using U-turn to maintain momentum.

Therian Forme – Offensive:

Item: Choice Scarf or Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Jolly (+ Speed, – Special Attack)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Moves: Earthquake, Stone Edge, U-turn, Superpower/Knock Off

This set takes advantage of Landorus’s high Attack stat and decent Speed to function as a powerful offensive threat.

Incarnate Forme – Mixed Attacker:

Item: Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
Nature: Naive (+ Speed, – Special Defense)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Moves: Earth Power, Rock Slide, Knock Off, Grass Knot/Focus Blast

This set leverages Sheer Force to boost the power of moves with secondary effects, using a mix of physical and special attacks to be unpredictable.

Landorus in Pokémon Lore

Landorus has a rich background in Pokémon lore, particularly relating to its role as one of the Forces of Nature trio.

Mythological Basis

The Forces of Nature trio (Landorus, Tornadus, and Thundurus) are based on the Shinto gods of wind, lightning, and fertility. Landorus specifically appears to be based on Inari, the Japanese kami of fertility, agriculture, and foxes. This connection is reflected in Landorus’s role as “The Guardian of the Fields” and its ability to grant bountiful harvests.

Role in the Pokémon World

According to Pokédex entries, Landorus is revered for its ability to create fertile land and bountiful harvests. It is said that lands visited by Landorus grant such bountiful crops that it has been hailed as “The Guardian of the Fields.” The energy that comes pouring from its tail increases the nutrition in the soil, making crops grow to great size.

Landorus is also known to appear when Tornadus and Thundurus are fighting, acting as a mediator to quell their conflict. After the tempests and thunderbolts abate, the land is sure to be blessed with bountiful harvests.

In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it’s mentioned that Landorus can soar through the sky in its Therian Forme, bestowing plentiful harvests upon the land and earning the people’s reverence. It can traverse the whole of Hisui (ancient Sinnoh) in a mere couple of hours.

FAQs About Landorus

Is Landorus a good Pokémon to use?

Yes, Landorus is one of the most powerful and versatile Pokémon in both the main series games and Pokémon GO. Its Therian Forme is particularly strong, being the best non-Mega, non-Shadow Ground-type attacker in Pokémon GO and a staple in competitive battling in the main series games.

What is the difference between Incarnate and Therian Forme?

Incarnate Forme is the default, more humanoid appearance of Landorus with more balanced stats. Therian Forme has a quadrupedal, tiger-like appearance with higher physical Attack but slightly lower Special Attack and Speed. In Pokémon GO, Therian Forme has higher Attack, making it better for raids, while Incarnate Forme can be more useful in certain PvP scenarios.

How rare is Shiny Landorus?

In Pokémon GO, Shiny Landorus has approximately a 1/20 (5%) chance of appearing after a successful raid when its Shiny form is available. In the main series games, Shiny Landorus has the standard Shiny rate of 1/4096 in newer games.

When will Landorus return to Pokémon GO raids?

Landorus typically returns to Pokémon GO raids during special events or as part of rotation with other legendary Pokémon. Niantic usually announces raid bosses a few weeks in advance through their official channels and in-game news.

Can Landorus be used in Great League or Ultra League?

Landorus cannot be obtained at a low enough CP to be eligible for Great League. For Ultra League, it would need to be significantly powered down, which is not recommended given the resource investment. Landorus is most effective in Master League PvP, where its high CP and stats can be fully utilized.

What is the best moveset for Landorus in Pokémon GO?

For Therian Forme in raids, the best moveset is Mud Shot with Earthquake and Stone Edge as charged moves. For PvP, Mud Shot with Superpower and Stone Edge/Bulldoze is often preferred for its coverage and lower energy cost. For Incarnate Forme, Mud Shot with Rock Slide and Earthquake is generally recommended.

How many people are needed to defeat Landorus in raids?

Landorus Therian can be defeated by as few as 2 trainers with optimal counters and high-level Pokémon. However, for most players, a group of 3-5 trainers is recommended to ensure success, particularly if players don’t have ideal counters powered up.

Samantha Yates

Samantha Yates is a creative writer and journalist with expertise in content creation and editing. She holds an MA in Creative Writing and brings professional experience from Lionbridge, where she developed engaging content for leading technology companies

Shiny Landorus: Catch This Powerful Legendary Pokémon