Legendary Raids are the highlight of Pokemon GO for players at the endgame. After all, taking on Legendaries is one of the staple endgame mechanics of any Pokemon game. This time around, Pokemon GO lets players acquire almost all Legendaries from across the franchise's eight Generations.
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And just like any Legendary battle, players can't just throw whatever Pokemon they have in their team and expect to win. With Pokemon GO's raid mechanics, players need to have a more tactical approach towards their fights with Legendary Pokemon. Thankfully for newcomers, preparing for Pokemon GO's endgame isn't as difficult as it seems.
10 Gather The Essential Pokemon First
Anyone who wants to have a good head start towards raiding in Pokemon GO should probably gather some of the most essential pre-Legendary Raiding Pokemon first to secure an edge in combat. In terms of practicality, here are some of the Pokemon players should acquire for their Raiding Party first:
- Alakazam/Espeon: Any one of these Psychic Pokemon can dominate in low-tier Legendary Raids, particularly against rare but powerful Dragon, Fairy, and Dark Types.
- Machamp: Despite his nature as a basic Fighting Type, Machamp is devastatingly strong against Normal and Dark Type bosses. He can also counter Ice, Rock, and Steel Type moves. Machamp is a great asset to fight Tyranitar.
- Tyranitar: This Pokemon has some of the best stats for a low-tier Raiding Pokemon. As a Rock/Dark hybrid, Tyranitar is a great Dark Type attacker and, with Smack Down, it can become a devastating Rock Type attacker as well.
9 Study The Legendary Boss In Question
Just because a Legendary Boss takes the form of a regular Pokemon doesn't mean they're exempted from the rules. In fact, Legendary Bosses are simply Pokemon just scaled for massive team fights – meaning they still share the same strengths and weaknesses as their ordinary counterparts. Players who want to gain the upper hand against a Legendary Boss quickly might want to look into their vital information such as:
- Typing: As with any Pokemon, identifying a Legendary Boss's Typing gives a general idea of its strengths, weaknesses, resistances, and immunities. Knowing this information can help players check which Pokemon can take on their attacks and which attack Types work best against them.
- Boss CP: As with other Pokemon in the game, Legendary Bosses also have CP Values. Knowing this lets players know the "general" combat strength of a Boss. For example, Blastoise (Tier 4) has a Boss CP of 26291, making it one of the toughest to face in that tier.
- Potential Counters: Various online resources also help players identify the best Pokemon to counter a Legendary Boss. These usually include Pokemon of Types the Boss is weak against. Alternatively, these include Pokemon with access to moves that are strong against the Boss's Type.
8 Try Pre-Battle Simulations
Players don't necessarily have to wait for an actual Raid just to check if their initial lineup can work. Resources online have sprung up to help players gain better insights towards more practical raiding strategies once the big battle comes up. They could do this through simulations, primarily via tools such as Pokebattler.
This nifty Pokemon resource not only gives insights towards Raids, but also gives tips for Gyms, PVP, and fighting Team Rocket. In terms of Raids themselves, players can create an account in order to test various Counters, Attackers, Raid Advice, and an actual Simulator to check their potential performance.
7 Consider Quickplay Tactics
Players who are hesitant to deep-dive into the more calculated matters of Legendary Raiding don't need to quit before they even begin. The game offers handy opportunities for players to get into Raiding pretty quickly, provided they know where to look. For newcomers to Legendary Raids, some quickplay tactics include:
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- Use the Recommended Team: Players who want to try out Legendary Raids for the first time should look into recommended teams and use them. They are recommended precisely for their advantages in terms of typing strengths and boosted moves. Players who win with a recommended team can analyze the lineup to make their own customized version.
- Clear 1-Star Raids first: It's highly recommended for players to prioritize clearing low-star Raids first. Being able to do this helps them become more familiar with the process.
6 Speed Is Key In Combat
Players with enough experience in Gyms and PVP would know that speed is easily a crucial part of Pokemon GO combat. In the case of Legendary Raids, speed makes the difference between a live and a downed team member. When in combat against a Legendary Boss, players need to take note of some essential strategies:
- Dodge when necessary: Granted, dodging against Raid Bosses get much trickier when compared to ordinary battles. Larger bosses tend to have faster and bigger attacks. If anything, players should at least dodge against a boss's charge attacks. These almost always get to knock down even the strongest Pokemon in a team, so watch out for these.
- Fast Moves are more reliable than Charged Moves: Of course, Charged Moves are mechanically more powerful than Fast Moves. However, the latter are much quicker to pull off which, at the end of the day, can net more total damage.
5 Punctuality Can Mean Everything
Albeit not having a direct impact with regards to combat, timing can mean everything when it comes to players planning to attend a Legendary Raid. Remember, Pokemon GO gives players around two hours of prep time prior to the start of the Raid. And once it begins, players generally have an entire hour to fight the boss.
Thing is, it might help for players to get into the Raid as soon as it's up – and yes, even the first few minutes matter immediately. Given the popularity of Pokemon GO, it's not improbable to find people already waiting to get into the Raid. Players should capitalize on the opportunity to team up with other users and take down the boss instead of arriving a few minutes late having prepped for nothing.
4 Capitalize On Statistics
Players who want to get into Legendary Raids should pay closer attention to their Pokemon's statistics. Here are some of the most integral statistics any prospective Raider should look at:
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- Look into CP Numbers: Yes, the higher the CP Number, the stronger the Pokemon in general. It also compiles hidden stats such as Level, Defense, Attack, and even HP. At its core, higher-level Pokemon get higher CP. As a rule of thumb, all members of a Legendary Raid Team should at least be Level 30.
- Look into IVs, but not too much: Players shouldn't delay their Raiding progress just because the "perfect" Pokemon (in terms of numbers) hasn't arrived yet. It might help to start investing in "imperfect" base Pokemon early, earn Stardust across time, and only then invest in Pokemon with better base stats as they arrive.
- Look into the Moveset. Aside from Type relationships, players should always look into the Moves their Pokemon have. Remember, Types still matter in Legendary Raids, not just CP. It's still best to build a team with attacks that capitalize on the weaknesses of the target Legendary.
3 Look Into External Factors
Players shouldn't get picky with the kind of Pokemon they want to bring in Legendary Raids, especially if they're doing it for the first time. Instead, they should try to see if there are particular Pokemon nests nearby and assess what creatures live there and their raiding potential.
- Use the Weather Boost: Remember, in-game weather can influence certain Wild or Raid Pokemon. In specific conditions, players can fight certain Types that receive weather boosts. Essentially, weather-boosted Pokemon have five levels higher than their normal counterparts and even have high IVs in their stats.
- Use Events to get better Pokemon: Thanks to special events and the monthly Community Day, players can have access to exclusive Pokemon and even exclusive Moves that can help challenge the current Raiding meta. Anyone into Raiding might find these exclusive Moves and Pokemon of some use as they build their dream team.
2 Relationships With Other Trainers Matter
Granted, Legendary Raids can become a solo thing for players who want a more private Pokemon GO experience. However, maximizing the game's built-in multiplayer features can make it much easier to grab stronger Pokemon to use on Raids.
- Use Trading: For a collection game like Pokemon GO, trading has become a powerful investment for getting stronger Pokemon. Thanks to the trading system, players who receive Pokemon can get them with rerolled IVs. Moreover, certain Pokemon become Lucky when traded, which means they cost less when powering up. Sometimes, Trading often with Best Friends can transform them into Lucky Friends, too!
- Use the power of Friendship: Newcomers to Raids might find it surprising that their local areas might have local Raiders or casual players ready to team up. Finding these players and befriending them can help players tackle challenging Legendary Raids much easier.
1 Practice Those Throws
Anyone who participated in a Legendary Raid will get a shot at capturing the Boss in question, courtesy of Premier Balls. However, the amount of Premier Balls players get depends on their overall participation in the Raid. In addition, players get bonus Premier Balls if they played with friends or if the Raid happens in the gym of their team.
With this in mind, players need to practice their throws. Granted, a Shiny Legendary Boss has a 100-percent catch rate provided they get to beat that Legendary Boss. However, it still helps for players to ensure they can pull off their throws properly. After all, why else did they go all this way to participate in a Raid?
NEXT: Pokemon Go: The Most Difficult Pokemon To Raid Against, Ranked