Ground moves don't affect Altaria at all — that's the advantage of Dragon/Flying typing. Natural Cure clears status conditions when it switches out. Known as the Humming Pokemon. Flexible enough to run physical or special sets.
Bulk defines Altaria's stat line. Sp. Def and Defense anchor the defensive side, but Attack can't keep up offensively. Tough to catch and worth 2 Sp. Def EVs.
If it bonds with a person, it will gently envelop the friend with its soft wings, then hum.
Altaria Weakness
GoodType-wise, Altaria takes extra damage from Ice, Rock, and Dragon. Watch out for Ice attacks, those deal 4x damage. Ground moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses. With 75 HP and balanced defenses, Altaria can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
Evolved from Swablu. Altaria is the final form in this two-stage line. A decent partner pool for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are average hatch time. HP grew the most through evolution (+30 over Swablu), and Altaria peaks at 490 total stats.
How to Evolve
Breed with Altaria to get Swablu eggs easily using 39 partners from the Dragon and Flying egg groups. Notable egg moves include Agility, Dragon Rush, Feather Dance and 7 more.
The special wall spread is where Altaria earns its spot. Leftovers for passive recovery each turn, Careful nature for the right lean, and Roost handles sustain. Natural Cure does the rest without needing a move slot.
Best Build
Best Altaria Moveset
- Dragon Dance
- Roost
- Dragon Claw
- Outrage
Stall teams hate this. Altaria can spread damage across 10 types, with Ghost and Normal punishing common defensive pivots. STAB from Sky Attack and Draco Meteor keeps the pressure honest on everything else.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
Altaria starts showing up in endgame routes at decent spawn rates across 4 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Where To Catch Altaria in Black & White
Swablu is your first catch on the way to Altaria. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 49-59 across 4 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Obtain Swablu- Step 2Altaria ✓EASYRoute 14BlackGrassLv.49UncommonPostRouteAnyEASYRoute 14WhiteGrassLv.49UncommonPostRouteAnyEASYRoute 14BlackGrassLv.59UncommonPostRouteAnyDouble grassEASYRoute 14WhiteGrassLv.59UncommonPostRouteAnyDouble grassor evolve from Swablu (Step 1)
Natural Cure changes the entire equation for Altaria. The 490 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier.
Altaria's biggest threats include Cloyster (Ice), Aerodactyl (Rock), and Salamence (Dragon), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Cloyster is the most dangerous since Ice moves deal 4x damage.
Swablu evolves into Altaria at level 35. Altaria is the fully evolved form. At 490 BST, it's got solid stats to work with.
Natural Cure is what you want on Altaria. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Cloud Nine) work on paper but Natural Cure is what makes Altaria worth using.
Base 80 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Altaria is a physical attacker with base 70 Attack. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Altaria appears in 16 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Available in 16 titles since its debut in Ruby & Sapphire, Altaria spans 7 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through wild encounters in most mainline games.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A