Team GO Rocket Leader Giovanni has summoned the shadows of the Distortion World, quite literally, and we have Shadow Giratina Altered in our midst in Pokémon GO.
This new Shadow is a beast in the Great League and appreciably good in the Ultra League as well. So, while you might want to get two for the GL and UL meta, should you get another (kudos to your hard work for collecting three!) for PvE? You know, max it out and put it in Raid battles?
To uncover that, let’s find out how Shadow Giratina Altered fares in Raids based on the 1.2x ATK boost it receives from the Shadow bonus.
Shadow Giratina Altered overview
Altered Shadow Giratina
GhostDragon
|
|
|---|---|
| Max CP | 3820 |
| ATK | 187 |
| DEF | 225 |
| HP | 284 |
| Weak to |      |
| Resists |         |
| Fast moves |
|
| Charge moves |
|
*represents a Legacy Move, only obtainable through Elite TMs
- Giratina Altered may have a relatively low ATK stat, but being boosted by 1.2x thanks to the Shadow boost gives it potential.
- The Shadow boost also gives a 0.83x nerf to its DEF, but Giratina Altered is very bulky, so this drop doesn’t hurt it too much.
- While it has an excellent PvP moveset, any chances of Ghost-type viability come from its signature move, Shadow Force, boasting more than double the DPS (70) than Shadow Ball (33).
- Its Dragon-type moveset is lacking as it would have ideally needed Dragon Tail paired with Breaking Swipe or Outrage (all of which it learns in the mainline games).
Shadow Giratina Altered in PvE (Raids)
In the Ghost meta
Here are the best Ghost-type attackers in Pokémon GO, sorted as per our GO Hub DPS Comparer Tool:
- Shadow Giratina Altered is shy of the top 10 attackers, but its standing will plummet further down with the eventual debut of Shadow Rider Calyrex, Flutter Mane, and even Shadow Giratina Origin.
- It edges past regular Giratina Origin in DPS and has similar TDO, making Shadow Altered Giratina a slightly better choice.
- The Dragon/Ghost type Pseudo Legendary Dragapult boasts higher DPS but lower TDO. Dragapult doesn’t need an Elite TM to establish this, and players can get multiple Dragapult down the line.
- If you keep Ghost Megas and other Shadows out of contention, Pokémon like the mighty Dawn Wings Necrozma, Blacephalon, Lunala, Gengar, Chandelure, Dragapult, and Gholdengo surpass it in DPS.
- That said, keep in mind that Ghost types compete with Dark types against Ghost and Psychic type Raid Bosses. A typical Dark type resists both Ghost and Psychic attacks (which Ghosts don’t), often making them better choices.
- Even when you don’t consider Mega and Shadows, Dark Pokémon like Tyranitar, Hydreigon, Absol, Darkrai, and Zoroark beat Shadow Giratina Altered in DPS.
- But when it comes to TDO, Shadow Giratina Altered is amazing, just behind Dawn Wings Necrozma and Lunala in the Ghost department, and Mega Tyranitar in the Dark department.
In a nutshell, Shadow Giratina Altered is a good Ghost Pokémon to use against Ghost and Psychic Raid Bosses, mainly because of its high TDO and decent ATK. That said, it requires investing an Elite Charged TM to unlock its true potential.
In the Dragon meta
Shadow Giratina Altered is bad as a Dragon type. Period. Dragon Breath and Dragon Claw are bad PvE moves, but even if it learns Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe, it’s going to remain bad.
Using our Comparer Tool again for a few Dragons (generously taking out Megas, Shadows, and many other strong contenders like Haxorus, Salamence, and Garchomp):
- The current Dragon Breath and Dragon Claw Shadow Giratina Altered is way down the barrel, with even Goodra and Giratina Origin being better.
- With the ideal Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe scenario, it again isn’t too much better as it barely edges past Latios, but still trails behind Dragon Tail and Dragon Claw Dragonite (whose best case involves Outrage, making it even stronger).
Don’t ever use Shadow Giratina Altered as a Dragon type in Raids, even if it gets Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe.
Do you need a Shadow Giratina Altered for PvE?
No.
- It needs an Elite Charged TM for viability, and even then, it doesn’t justify the investment, as there are numerous better attackers.
- It’s a good Ghost type, but a good number of Ghost as well as Dark type surpass it in performance against Raids hosting Ghost and Psychic Bosses.
- Forget about using it as a Dragon-type attacker, it’s not good enough even with the ideal Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe combo.
- If you want to use a Pokémon that fulfils both Ghost and Dragon duties, use Dragapult instead. It not only doesn’t need an Elite TM, but trainers are going to bag multiples of Dragapult from its eventual Community Day. Besides, maxing out a Dragapult is way cheaper than a Shadow Giratina Altered (or even a regular one).
It’s advised to get one without a doubt for the Great League, and if possible, another for the Ultra League.
For PvE, it’s not bad, and if you have an Elite Charged TM to spare, it’s ultimately not worth it as you have better and cheaper options to use in Pokémon GO.
