Other than the gym updates, Pokemon Go Raid Battles are also being rolled out in the beta phase and available to a select group of Trainers. As of now, Trainers who have achieved Level 25 and above can compete at available Raids in their area but the level restrictions may drop further. This post, we will explain everything you need to know about Raid Battles and how to get the most out of them! You may also like to check out our post on Pokemon Go New Gym – Motivation, Battles, Badges, Bonus & Tips!
1. What Is A Raid?
Raid Battles occur when a Boss Pokemon takes over a Gym and a timer starts to tick down. You need to reach the area of the Pokemon Go Raid Battle before it reaches zero; a new tab has been added to the game to help notify what is going on in your current location
Before the raid begins, a Raid Egg will appear on top of the Gym. A countdown will display the time until the Egg hatches and the battle begins. Your goal is to defeat the Boss Pokemon that has spawned, which Niantic has hinted could be replaced by a Legendary during special events.
Niantic does not advise you to raid a Pokemon boss alone but it seems that some of the most powerful Trainers are actually able to take on the easier bosses solo. There are 5 levels of Raids difficulty, ranging from one to five. The higher the difficulty, the stronger the Raid Boss and the more players you’ll need in order to succeed.
Once the Egg hatches, the raid begins and you have one hour to defeat the Boss. Any number of Trainers can join a raid, but only in groups of up to 20 Trainers.
3. Can I Just Join Any Raids?
Raid Battles will happen frequently and will require a Raid Pass for you to join one. Raid passes can be earned by spinning the Photo Disc at a Gym, however, you can only hold one Raid Pass at a time. There’s also a limit of receiving one per day. If you have already used your Raid Pass, you can also purchase a Premium Raid Pass from the Shop.
In future, some Raid parties may be password protected so that only those who know the code can have access to it. This will not block other players from the raid but will essentially mean you can join the Raid privately, in the same group as your friends. Otherwise, you will be automatically matched with other players nearby.
4. Raids Battle Mechanics
There are only three different actions that can be performed during a Raid Battle:
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- Fast Attack – Fast Attacks recharge your Charged Attack meter and are completed by tapping the screen.
- Charged Attack – Once your Charged Attack meter is full, press and hold to perform a Charged Attack. Charged Attack causes large amounts of damage.
- Dodge – Swipe to the left or to the right to dodge incoming attacks from the Raid Boss.
5. Can I Exit A Raid?
If you are not able to defeat the Boss in the battle, you may rejoin the raid and battle again. You won’t need to use another Raid Pass to rejoin; your pass will grant you access to the battle for the duration of the raid. You can join as many times as you’d like before the raid ends.
6. What Do I Gain From Raids?
Defeating the raid boss will give you some Premier Balls, which are used for catching the special Pocket Monster. It seems that Boss Pokemon are known to have their stats reduced following their capture.
Only Premier Balls can be used to capture the boss and the players on the team that did the best will get the most of them. When you run out of Premier Balls, your chance of capturing ends.
7. What Happens After A Raid
After the Raid Battle, the Gym is restored to its state before the raid and any Pokemon defenders previously assigned to the Gym returns.
We hope you find the Pokemon Raid information useful. You may also like to check out our post on Pokemon Go New Gym – Motivation, Battles, Badges, Bonus & Tips! Do leave your comments below and share with fellow trainers!
