So the Raid Battles are here. There's more to them than just coming up to a Raid Boss and picking a fight, and today we go into detail on how to find and defeat one, and what rewards you can reap by doing this.
So your Gyms have been disabled and enabled again after three days. During the time the Gyms were offline, an update that brought all kinds of cool content has been applied. The best addition to the game were arguably Raid Battles.
When we first got the news of the major update, the Raid Battles were going to "roll out slowly over the course of the weeks following the update". In the beginning they were only available to high level players. We're talking level 35 high.
At the time of writing, the level cap was around 20 and it will continue to be lowered. Let's go through the ins and outs of the Raid Battles, Raid Bosses and what exactly is in it for you.
Niantic
How it all begins... A Raid Boss takes over a Gym of its choosing and up to 20 Trainers can join forces to defeat it in a, wait for it, Raid Battle. Seems straightforward enough, doesn't it?
Now for the finer details. To even find a Raid Battle, you'll need to have a lot of Gyms in your area. The more the better. Once a Raid Battle starts to brew, you'll get a notification about it. You can use the Nearby feature to locate raids happening nearby. Another way to notice that a Raid Battle is about to go down is to spot a Raid Egg above a Gym.
The Raid Eggs have a countdown clock on them. When it reaches zero, a Raid Boss is hatched. Starting then, you'll have one hour to coordinate and defeat the Boss. You can join players from any Team (Instinct, Valor and Mystic) in the Raid. I will list the Raid Bosses and Eggs from Tier 1 all the way to Tier 4 at the end of this article. Oh and one more thing: Dark Raid Eggs are not yet available but they will contain Legendary Pokemon. Yaaay.
Niantic
Ok, you found the Raid Egg, the timer has reached zero and your level is higher that the "must be level x to raid". Now you need a Raid Pass. You can get one of those for free every day by spinning a Photo Disc at a Gym. Only one of these passes can be in your inventory at a time. If you've already used the free Pass, and you want to go again, you can purchase a Premium Raid Pass at the in-game store.
Now for the combat. During the Raid Battle, you will be able to preform one of three actions:
- Fast Attack: This is done by simply tapping your screen. As you do this you recharge your second attack.
- Charged Attack: This is your second attack. Once the meter is full, press the screen and hold in order to unleash a much more powerful attack.
- Dodge: Swiping left or right allows you to dodge incoming attacks.
In addition to these, you can use Potions or Revives, and keep coming back to the Raid you've already spent your Pass on, without spending another. Also, choose your Pokemon carefully by taking along the type the Boss will be weak against.
Niantic
Finally, what's in it for you. When you defat a Raid Boss, you'll have a chance to win special items, and oh, you might even catch the Pokemon that was your Raid Boss. The rewards are as follows:
- Golden Razz Berries
- Fast and Charged TM
- Rare Candies
- Premier Balls (used to catch the Raid Boss)
The Raid Boss Pokemon will leave only after all your Premier Balls have been spent. If you manage to capture it, congratulations, and take note that the Pokemon will not be as powerful as it was during the Raid Battle.
Another reason to join as many Raid Battles as possible is the fact that when you've participated enough times, you'll receive a Legendary Raid Pass. And I can't shake the feeling those will have something to do with the Dark Raid Eggs from earlier.
Niantic
Here you go, a list of Raid Eggy and Raid Bosses that hatch from them:
Pink Raid Eggs are the most common and contain Tier 1 and 2 bosses.
Tier 1
- Magikarp
Max Boss CP: 1165
Max Catch CP: 125
Type: Water
- Croconaw
Max Boss CP: 5207
Max Catch CP: 913
Type: Water
- Bayleef
Max Boss CP: 4375
Max Catch CP: 740
Type: Grass
- Quilava
Max Boss CP: 5085
Max Catch CP: 847
Type: Fire
Tier 2
- Electabuzz
Max Boss CP: 11311
Max Catch CP: 1255
Type: Electric
- Exeggutor
Max Boss CP: 12633
Max Catch CP: 1666
Type: Grass / Psychic
- Magmar
Max Boss CP: 11610
Max Catch CP: 1288
Type: Fire
- Muk
Max Boss CP: 11200
Max Catch CP: 1548
Type: Poison
- Weezing
Max Boss CP: 11245
Max Catch CP: 1247
Type: Poison
Yellow Raid Eggs are more rare, and include Tier 3 and 4.
Tier 3
- Vaporeon
Max Boss CP: 16696
Max Catch CP: 1804
Type: Water
- Arcanine
Max Boss CP: 17832
Max Catch CP: 1622
Type: Fire
- Machamp
Max Boss CP: 18144
Max Catch CP: 1650
Type: Fighting
- Jolteon
Max Boss CP: 19883
Max Catch CP: 1560
Type: Electric
- Gengar
Max Boss CP: 19768
Max Catch CP: 1496
Type: Ghost
- Flareon
Max Boss CP: 21155
Max Catch CP: 1659
Type: Fire
- Alakazam
Max Boss CP: 22646
Max Catch CP: 1649
Type: Psychic
Tier 4
- Lapras
Max Boss CP: 21768
Max Catch CP: 1487
Type: Water / Ice
- Blastoise
Max Boss CP: 24162
Max Catch CP: 1487
Type: Water
- Venusaur
Max Boss CP: 26921
Max Catch CP: 1467
Type: Grass
- Charizard
Max Boss CP: 28485
Max Catch CP: 1535
Type: Fire / Flying
- Snorlax
Max Boss CP: 25419
Max Catch CP: 1917
Type: Normal
- Rhydon
Max Boss CP: 30512
Max Catch CP: 1886
Type: Ground / Rock
- Tyranitar
Max Boss CP: 34707
Max Catch CP: 2097
Type: Rock / Dark
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