One of the most thrilling and social aspects of Pokémon GO is the Raid Battle feature, which allows players to team up and battle powerful Pokémon for rare rewards. In this article, we’ll delve into the exciting world of Raid Battles, discussing everything from finding raids to shiny odds.
What are Raid Battles?
Raid Battles are cooperative multiplayer battles in Pokémon GO where trainers team up to take on powerful Pokémon known as Raid Bosses. These bosses are significantly stronger than regular wild Pokémon, making it difficult for a single trainer to defeat them alone. To succeed in a Raid Battle, players can work together and use their best Pokémon to defeat the Raid Boss within the time limit.
Finding a Raid Battle
To find a Raid Battle, trainers can look for Gym locations on their Pokémon GO map. Gyms are special locations where Raid Battles occur periodically. When a Raid Battle is about to start, the Gym will be marked with an egg, indicating the impending challenge.
Raid Egg Colour
Raid Battles are divided into different tiers based on the difficulty and strength of the Raid Boss. The colour of the egg above the Gym corresponds to the tier of the Raid Battle:
| Egg | Shadow* | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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Normal | Hatches a Tier 1 or 2 Raid Boss |
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Rare | Hatches a Tier 3 Raid Boss |
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Mega | Hatches a Tier 4 Mega Raid Boss | |
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Rare (events) | Hatches an in-person only Tier 4 Raid Boss | |
 |
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Legendary | Hatches a Tier 5 Legendary or Mythical Raid Boss |
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Ultra Beast | Hatches a Tier 5 Ultra Beast Raid Boss | |
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Mega Legendary | Hatches a Tier 6 Mega Legendary Raid Boss | |
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Elite | Hatches an Elite Raid Boss | |
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Primal | Hatches a Tier 6 Primal Raid Boss |
*Only Tier 1,3 and 5 shadow raids are currently in-game.
Tier 1 and 2 Raid Battles
These are the easiest and can typically be completed by solo or casual players.
Tier 3 Raid Battles
These are of moderate difficulty and may require a small group of players to defeat the Raid Boss.
Mega Raid Battles
You can find Mega Raid Battles from Tier 4 to Tier 6. They are difficult Raid Battles featuring Mega-Evolved Raid Bosses. Defeating a Mega Raid Boss gives you Mega Energy, a resource required to Mega Evolve Pokémon. Primal Raids operate in the same way, rewarding trainers with Primal Energy to power Primal Reversion.
Legendary Raid Battles
Tier 5 Raid Battles are challenging and feature powerful Legendary Pokémon as Raid Bosses, necessitating a larger group of trainers to take them down.
Elite Raid Battles
Elite Raid Eggs spawn and hatch at 11 am, 2 pm and 5 pm local time, they feature rare Pokémon. These Raids cannot be entered with a Remote Raid Pass. These raid battles only occur at EX Raid Gyms. Typically Elite raids can only be seen on special Raid Days.
Shadow Raids
A Shadow Raid is a mysterious type of Raid Battle that occurs at a Gym that has been taken over by Team GO Rocket.
Unlike a standard Raid, a member of Team GO Rocket has captured the Gym and placed a Shadow Pokémon as the Raid Boss. Enter the Gym and defeat the Shadow Raid Boss in battle to get the chance to capture it. Like a standard Raid, Shadow Raids have multiple difficulty levels depending on the strength of the Shadow Raid Boss.
Once a Gym has been taken over by Team GO Rocket, the Raid Egg above the Gym will appear with a purple flame behind it. Once the Raid Egg has hatched, the Gym will change colour to appear black on the Map.
At a certain point during the Raid Battle, the Shadow Pokémon may become enraged, which will make it more difficult to defeat.
If you have a Purified Gem in your bag, a button will appear on the bottom left of your screen after the Shadow Pokemon has become enraged. Tap the button to use a Purified Gem, which will help to subdue the Shadow Raid Boss and return it to its non-Enraged state. Learn more about Shadow Raids.
Raid Passes
To participate in a Raid Battle, trainers need a Raid Pass. There are two types of Raid Passes:
Free Raid Pass
1×
Daily Free Pass
Trainers can obtain one free Raid Pass per day by spinning the Photo Disc at any Gym. However, only one free pass can be held at a time. This means that Trainers can participate in one raid a day without using passes that cost coins.
Premium Raid Pass
1×
Premium Raid Pass
Trainers have the option to purchase Premium Raid Passes from the in-game shop for 100 coins each or 3 for 250 coins. These passes operate similarly to the free pass, but there is no daily limit on the quantity you can hold. They do not get used for Raids when a free Raid Pass is available. Coins can be acquired through an in-app purchase or earned, with a maximum of 50 coins per day, from Pokémon returning after defending gyms.
Remote Raid Pass
1×
Remote Raid Pass
Remote Raid Passes allow you to team up with players around the world if there aren’t any Raids near your current location, to help against legendary bosses or to get regional Pokémon in your dex. They now allow you to do the same amount of damage as you would in person. You can only carry 3 Remote Raid Passes at one time.
Trainers can buy Remote Raid Passes from the in-game shop for 195 coins each or 525 for 3. Trainers can partake in a maximum of 5 remote raids per day (unless there is a special event).
Pokémon GO players now have a chance of getting free Remote Raid Passes as a reward for Research Breakthroughs. You can unlock a Research Breakthrough by completing seven days of Field Research tasks and marking them off in the Today View. However, this is not guaranteed.
Raid Guides
If you are unsure of the best counters for a raid boss or simply want to find out more, we have an extensive list of Raid Guides for you. These will help you prepare for going into battle.
Joining a Raid Battle
In Person
When a Raid Battle is about to begin, the egg above the Gym will have a countdown timer. Once the timer reaches zero, the Raid Boss is revealed, and the battle can begin. Trainers in the vicinity of the Gym can select the Raid Battle and use their Raid Pass to join. Trainers will then be taken to a team selection page and countdown, where you can choose your team or use the one recommended. Other players within the lobby will show up, there is a maximum of 20 people in a lobby. The raid battle will stay for an hour, but you can only complete it once at that Gym. It will show up for other trainers if they haven’t yet completed the raid battle. If you didn’t see the egg before the raid started, the amount of arrows below the raid icon denotes the raid tier.
Remotely
Only people on your friends list can invite you to battle in a raid remotely. When you receive an invitation, the tab on the bottom right-hand side of the screen will turn orange. You can click on the tab and it will take you to the raids screen. The raid invitation will show at the top in an orange banner. Simply click on the banner and you will be taken to the raid Gym and prompted to use a Remote Raid Pass.
Mega Evolve Your Team
Mega Evolution is a temporary process that increases a Pokémon’s CP, typically lasting for eight hours. You can mega evolve your Pokémon from the Raid Lobby. If you have a Pokémon in your Raid Party that is eligible to Mega Evolve, a Mega Evolution icon will appear in the top left corner of your Battle Party. Tap to select which of your eligible Pokemon to Mega Evolve ahead of the Raid Battle start.
When you raid with Mega Evolved Pokémon, they boost the stats of your allies’ Pokémon, as well as give an additional type boost to Pokémon of the same type. For example, if you use a Mega Lopunny, normal- and fighting-type moves will get boosted.
Inviting Friends to Raid Remotely
Once you have joined a lobby, you can invite friends to Raid remotely.
- Tap the Invite Friends button on the right side of the screen. (pictured above)
- Select the friends you would like to invite to the raid (up to 5), then tap “Invite Friends.” While you can only invite up to 5 friends at a time, after a short cooldown period you can invite more friends to the same lobby if you’d like. If someone you have invited has completed their 5 raids for the day, you will receive a notification and allowed to invite someone else in their place.
- If your friend is using the Party feature, inviting them will also invite the other members of their Party.
Battling in a Raid
Raid Battles follow a format similar to traditional Pokémon battles but with a twist. Trainers can use a team of up to six Pokémon to fight against the Raid Boss. The battle has a time limit, and trainers must cooperate to reduce the Raid Boss’s health before time runs out. If all trainers in the raid get defeated, they can heal their Pokémon and join the battle again for another attempt until the raid ends.
Party Power
When challenging a raid with your party, a bonus will be available: Party Power.
- Party Power doubles the damage of your next Charged Attack and charges with every Fast Attack.
- More party members means your Party Power charges faster!
Raid Rewards
Successfully defeating a Raid Boss comes with enticing rewards. Completing a Raid Battle for the first time will always award 1,000 Stardust. Trainers have the opportunity to receive a bundle of Premier Balls, which they use to catch the Raid Boss, along with a chance to catch the defeated Pokémon. Furthermore, participating in Raid Battles grants trainers rare candies, golden razz berries, and Technical Machines (TMs) to teach Pokémon new moves. Rare Candy XL is exclusively obtainable from in-person Raid Battles and by Trainers Level 31 or higher.
| Tier | XP |
| 1 | 3,500 |
| 3/4 | 5,000 |
| 5/Mega/Primal | 10,000 |
| Elite | 12,000 |
| Mega Legendary | 13,000 |
Bonus Challenge
Bonus Challenge is a feature available for Trainers who successfully defeated Raid Boss and it gives an opportunity to catch the Raid Boss Pokémon as if it was a Pokémon in the wild. Trainers use Premier Balls earnt as a reward during the raid or their Master Ball to catch the defeated Raid Boss. If you fail to capture the Pokémon with your last Premier Ball and you have no more Premier Balls left, the Pokémon will flee.
Shiny Odds
For many trainers, the ultimate reward in Raid Battles is encountering a shiny version of the Raid Boss in the bonus challenge. Shiny Pokémon are incredibly rare alternate colouration versions. Legendary Raid (Tier 5) shiny odds are typically 1/20. Mega Raids are usually 1/64. Other raids can be 1/64 or 1/512.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Raid Battles are one of the most engaging and interactive features of Pokémon GO. They encourage collaboration among players and provide a unique opportunity to battle and capture powerful and rare Pokémon. So next time you see an egg above a Gym, grab your Raid Pass, gather your friends, and embark on an exciting Raid Battle adventure in Pokémon GO!
