Lugia
Psychic
Best attacking moveset: Extrasensory and Aeroblast, worth 12.9 damage per second against a neutral target.
Best moveset
Lugia can learn 10 combinations. Extrasensory with Aeroblast does the most damage per second of them, at level 40 with a perfect attack stat. Same-type moves get the 1.2× bonus, and the cycle assumes the charged attack fires the moment it has the energy.
That set is legacy. Aeroblast is only obtainable with an Elite TM or from the event that gave it out, so the Lugia you catch today cannot learn it. The best set it can learn now is Extrasensory and Fly, worth 12.5 damage per second.
Stats and moves come straight from the game's own data files. Every number on this page is a raid and gym number, not a PvP one.
Type matchups
| Fast attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon Tail | Dragon | 14 | 1.0s | +8 |
| Extrasensory | Psychic | 11 | 1.0s | +11 |
| Charged attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly | 90 | 2.0s | -50 | |
| Futuresight | Psychic | 115 | 2.5s | -100 |
| Hydro Pump | Water | 135 | 3.5s | -100 |
| Sky Attack | 80 | 2.0s | -50 | |
| Aeroblast Legacy | 180 | 3.5s | -100 |
Shiny
Yes. Shiny Lugia has been released. Players have found it from: wild, raid, research, photobomb.
Numbers
| Max CP | 4,186 at level 50, 3,703 at level 40 |
|---|---|
| Raid catch | 2,115 CP at level 20, or 2,645 if weather boosted (perfect IVs) |
| Lowest possible raid catch | 2,028 CP. Raid encounters can't roll below 10/10/10 |
| Base stats | 193 attack · 310 defense · 235 stamina |
What it costs
| Second charged move | 100,000 Stardust and 100 Candy |
|---|---|
| Buddy distance | 20 km per Candy |
| Purify a Shadow one | 20,000 Stardust and 20 Candy |
| Size | 5.21 m and 216 kg |
Best moveset against each type
Lugia does not have one best moveset, it has 4. Which one wins depends on what you are attacking, because a move only gets its bonus against something weak to it. Best against Fighting, Bug, Grass.
| Against | Best moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|
| Fighting | Extrasensory + Aeroblast | 19.8 |
| Bug | Extrasensory + Aeroblast | 17.6 |
| Grass | Extrasensory + Aeroblast | 17.6 |
| Poison | Extrasensory + Futuresight | 16.6 |
| Dragon | Dragon Tail + Aeroblast | 14.8 |
| Normal | Extrasensory + Aeroblast | 12.9 |
| Extrasensory + Aeroblast | 12.9 | |
| Ground | Extrasensory + Hydro Pump | 12.9 |
| Rock | Extrasensory + Hydro Pump | 12.9 |
| Ghost | Extrasensory + Aeroblast | 12.9 |
| Fire | Extrasensory + Hydro Pump | 12.9 |
| Water | Extrasensory + Aeroblast | 12.9 |
| Ice | Extrasensory + Aeroblast | 12.9 |
| Fairy | Extrasensory + Aeroblast | 12.9 |
| Psychic | Dragon Tail + Aeroblast | 11.7 |
| Dark | Dragon Tail + Aeroblast | 11.7 |
| Electric | Extrasensory + Futuresight | 11.0 |
| Steel | Extrasensory + Hydro Pump | 7.8 |
Same maths as the headline number, run once per defending type: level 40, perfect attack IV, and the target's own type taken into account. Sorted by damage, so the top of this table is what Lugia is actually for.
Counters: what beats Lugia
| Attacker | Type | Moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 Regieleki | Electric | Lock On + Thunder Cage Legacy | 21.2 |
 Zeraora | Electric | Volt Switch + Plasma Fists | 18.2 |
 Blacephalon | FireGhost | Astonish + Shadow Ball | 18.1 |
 Zekrom | DragonElectric | Charge Beam + Fusion Bolt Legacy | 17.8 |
 Xurkitree | Electric | Thunder Shock + Discharge | 17.6 |
 Chien-Pao | DarkIce | Snarl + Blizzard | 16.4 |
 Darkrai | Dark | Snarl + Shadow Ball | 16.3 |
 Chandelure | GhostFire | Hex + Shadow Ball | 16.1 |
 Gengar | GhostPoison | Lick + Shadow Ball Legacy | 16.1 |
 Glimmora | RockPoison | Rock Throw + Meteor Beam | 16.1 |
Ranked by damage per second against Lugia's own defense, at level 40 with a 15 attack IV, one per evolution family.