6 Pokémon GO Raids Tips

Pokémon GO Raids have arrived, and anyone that really wants to get the game’s most powerful creatures and must-have items needs to know what they’re doing. These 6 Pokémon GO Raid tips will help.

Raids are developer Niantic’s way of encouraging gamers to work together. Up to twenty different people can participate in one Raid over an hour. Each player uses their best Pokémon to battle the very powerful Raid Boss left at the Gym.

You need to take part in Pokémon GO Raids because they’re the only way to get your hands on some great items. Raids reward Technical Machines that you can use to teach your creatures new attacks. You can capture Raid Bosses that you defeat and add them to your collection. Rare Candy rewards let you evolve your favorite Pokémon without catching multiples of them.

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Use these Pokémon GO Raid tips to master the new game-mode and collect the best creatures and items.

Prepare Your Trainer for Raids

You may need to get your Trainer in shape before you can take advantage of these Pokémon GO Raid tips. Everyone can see Raids on the game map. However, participating in a Raid requires a Trainer Level of 20.

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If you aren’t at that level yet, visit new PokéStops. Capture as many new creatures as you can in the wild.

Try Raiding Once a Day, If You Can

Playing in Pokémon GO Raids also requires a Raid Pass. You consume one Raid Pass every time you join a Raid, and the game only gives you one free Raid Pass a day. You don’t earn Raid Passes for days you don’t play, and they expire a day after you get them.

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Purchase Premium Raid Passes to play in a Raid more than once a day. They cost 100 Coins in the game’s online shop. That’s $1 in real-world money. Premium Raid Passes don’t expire.

Look for Nearby Raids on Your Map

If you are in public, always dive into the game to see what Pokémon GO Raids are nearby. As with Gyms, you need to be close to a Raid before you can take part.

As you’re looking at your map, check to see if a Raid has started. If there’s a timer above the Gym with an Egg, the Raid hasn’t begun and you have some time to decide whether you want to take part. Raids that have begun have a Pokémon on top of them already. If no one else shows up to help you battle the Raid Boss before that Raid ends, you’ve wasted a free Raid Pass.

Tap on a pending Raid to learn about the Raid Boss and decide whether it’s a smart move to join each Raid. The creatures you fight in a Raid have more CP than that same creature would in the wild.

Don’t Just Attack, Dodge

Your creatures need to outlast the Raid Boss. Do not focus on landing an attack so much that you forget to dodge incoming attacks. The more attacks you dodge, the longer your team stays in the fight.

Swipe right and left on your screen when the Raid Boss is ready to attack. Again, the Pokémon you fight in Raids can last a long time in a battle. You need to keep your team moving to counter that.

You have just 5 minutes to defeat the Raid Boss before it heals itself and you’re forced to start over. The entire team walks away with nothing when the Raid Boss still has health left after an hour.

Know Your Pokémon GO Raid Tiers

If you don’t know your Raid Tiers, Pokémon GO Raids can be a big waste of time. Once you’ve reached Level 20, assess your best creatures and decide which Tiers you’ll go after.

Tier 1 Raids are easy enough that you can attempt them on your own and not waste a Raid Pass. You will need a powerful team to survive them.

Don’t expect to complete Tier 3, Tier 4 and Tier 5 battles on your own. The Pokémon in these Tiers are too powerful to defeat on your own. If no other Trainers show up to help battle Raid Bosses in these Tiers, you have wasted a Raid Pass.

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Use Only Your Best Creatures for Pokémon GO Raids

Pokémon GO Raids are not one-on-one battles. You choose a team of six of your creatures to take into the Raid. Make sure those six creatures are your best Pokémon.

Level them up and evolve them. Check their HP levels too. You don’t want a very weak Pokémon battling a Tier 2 or Tier 3 Raid Boss. You can heal your Pokémon during a Raid every 5 minutes, but the Raid Boss’s HP will go back to full.