Mewtwo is out, and we have a month and 3 days to get that Genetic Pokémon before its gone. There’s also a new sale that may be designed to help us get the most out of this event. Let’s analyze each box and see if you are getting the most out of your hard earned PokéCoins.
| Special | Great | Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Raid Pass | 2 | 5 | 14 |
| Super Incubator | 5 | 10 | |
| Incubator | 3 | ||
| Star Piece | 2 | 6 | |
| Incense | 2 | ||
| Lucky Egg | 2 | 6 | |
| Lure Module | 4 | ||
| Price | 480 | 780 | 1480 |
| Box value analysis | |||
| Coin Saved per Box (Incubator & Raid Pass) | 170 | 720 | 1920 |
| Coin Saved per Box (Incubator only) | -30 | 220 | 520 |
| Coin Saved per Box | 420 | 1185 | 2670 |
| Percent Discount (Incubator & Raid Pass) | 26.15% | 48.00% | 56.47% |
| Percent Discount (Incubator only) | -6.67% | 22.00% | 26.00% |
| Percent Discount | 46.67% | 60.31% | 64.34% |
Before the verdict, I would like to reiterate that I chose to not use the standard price of Lucky Egg, Incense, Lure Module, and Star Piece, since the comparison should be more on the price of buying in bulk. It would be misleading to compare it to the base price which is in principle designed to be more expensive than bulk to encourage consumers to spend more. That being said, I used the bulk price of these items when buying an 8-item bundle.
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Our Verdict
It may not be the sale that hardcore raiders want, but it should be noted that the reason there are still Incubators in these boxes is because the Region-Exclusive Generation I Pokémon (and Porygon & Tangela) are still in 7 KM eggs. Some players might not have yet completed those 4 Region-Exclusive Pokémon.
Niantic is actually smart to make the number of Raid Passes in the Ultra Box almost equal to the pricepoint. This is Niantic’s way of enticing players to spend more, since that’s the only box where you would actually break-even in a way when you only consider Raid Passes. Sadly, the savings are still in the Incubators, not on the Raid Passes. If you’re planning to buy less than 14 Raid Passes, or you’re good with Incubators, you may want to buy the Raid Passes separately.
Special Box
This is actually a great starting box if you both want to raid and hatch Eggs. It may not be much, but if you’re starting out and really can’t spend that much money, this box might be the way to go. It covers everything a starting player need at an aggressive price. I can’t stress this enough: this is not a box for the hardcore player.
Great Box
When I saw the Great Box, I only had one reaction: Why? Why the Incense and Lure Module? This might be a niche box for those who want to grind and catch the most Pokémon. I mean, the event spawns are still here, so this might be the case. The additional Raid Pass and Incubators are still nice but the savings are nowhere near the Ultra Box. Only choose this box if you want the extra Incense and Lure Modules along the Raid Pass and Incubators, but honestly, buying either a bulk of Lure Modules or Incense is cheaper if you really are into those items.
Ultra Box
The Ultra Box is back in its top form. From a distance, this looks like the same Ultra Box as before, but the difference is in the number of Raid Passes. As I have stated in the overview, 14 Raid Passes makes this box enticing since 14 Raid Passes alone cost 1400 coins, and it’s like Niantic telling us, “Just 80 coins more and you’ll get Super Incubators, Lucky Eggs, and Star Pieces.”
It’s a perfect bait for players who only spend just a few coins to amp up their spending. Knowing this fact, you should really take a closer look if you really can afford this box. Don’t get me wrong, this is a really awesome box, but if you really just have a certain amount allocated for spending in Pokémon GO, aim for Ultra Box only if you really can afford it.
Overall thoughts
If you plan on buying PokéCoins and want to make the most of it, the Ultra Box offers the best savings when it comes to both Raid Passes and Incubators. The Great Box is a niche box for those who prefer grinding and catching the most Pokémon during the event. The Special Box might not look like the best box, but it is a really good box especially for those that are starting out and can only afford a few coins.
Not only will these boxes help you to raid as much Mewtwo as you can, they will also aid you on hatching 7 KM eggs, especially if you haven’t gotten the 4 Region Exclusive Pokémon, and help you if you are not done with the Celebi Research yet. If you’re a returning player, you can definitely catch up with the help of these boxes, since Pokémon caught from Raids and hatched from eggs tend to have higher IVs.
Even if you’re not planning on hatching eggs since you’ve acquired the 4 Region-Exclusive Pokémon or if you’re not planning on raiding since you’ve already gotten tons of Mewtwo during its time as an EX Raid Boss, it’s never a bad thing to stock up on Incubators and Raid Passes, since the release of Generation IV is inevitable, and has been hinted twice already. Those Incubators and Raid Passes may help you on hatching new Baby Pokémon or possibly get a Raid-exclusive Pokémon similar to Mawile and Absol. Generation IV may be next year or before the year ends, but it’s coming for sure.