How Do You Beat Pokémon GO Raid Battles?

Along with the recent gym rework patch, Raid Boss battles are coming to Pokémon Go.

Now available to select players, Raid Boss battles are a brand new feature that will bring trainers together to defeat a massive Raid Pokémon. This is the first time Pokémon Go has featured a cooperative experience in-game, and it promises to be a great new feature.


However, there’s a lot of things you need to know about Raid Bosses before you head off into the world to bag your very own monster Pokémon. Here’s all you need to know to defeat your first Raid Boss.

via fanfest.com

4. How Does A Raid Boss Work?

Raid Bosses appear at certain gyms. So far they only happen in the US, but they’ll be rolling out worldwide in the coming weeks.

Before the Raid begins, all the Pokémon currently at the gym are sent back to their trainers and a giant egg will appear floating above it. Above the egg is a timer counting down. Once the countdown reaches zero, the egg hatches and the Raid Boss is revealed.

From the time the Raid Boss hatches you have 1 hour to defeat it by teaming up with trainers around you. Up to 20 trainers can team up, and once the battle begins you and your teammates have 5 minutes to defeat the boss, otherwise the raid fails and you have to use some potions and revives to try again.

via Forbes

3. What Are Raid Bosses?

The Raid Boss is essentially a giant version of a regular Pokémon. They’ll appear just the same as you remember, but humongous. They also have around ten times the CP value of a normal Pokémon. They’re big, they’re scary, and they’ll tear through your team if you’re not prepared.

Raid Bosses are rated from one to five, with a level one Raid Boss being something like a Magikarp while a four Raid Boss will be a strong Pokémon like a Dragonite. It’s posited that a level 5 Raid Boss will be an ultra-powerful Legendary Pokémon.

So far, it seems the number of players determines the difficulty of the Raid Boss, as one person on Reddit was able to solo a Magikarp with just a strong set of Pokémon.

via journaldugeek.com

2. What Do I Need To Defeat A Raid Boss?

Besides a team of 6 highly capable Pokémon, you’ll first need a Raid Pass just to join in the fight. A Raid Pass is something you can get just from visiting a gym. You can only have one Raid Pass at a time, and you can only get one Raid Pass per day from a gym.

However, Pokémon Go is a freemium game, so you can also buy Premium Raid Passes by going to the store. A Premium Raid Pass still counts toward your one Raid Pass inventory limit, but you can buy them whenever you want.

You’ll also need to be a high enough player level just to join in a Raid battle. Currently, the minimum level to join a Raid Boss is 31, so only the strongest trainers around can group up to take on a Boss.

via Eurogamer

1. What Do I Get For Defeating A Raid Boss?

While a Raid Boss will be a tough opponent, the rewards for defeating one could be huge.

First, there’s a chance you’ll be able to catch a super-powerful Pokémon. Not Raid Boss powerful, but better than the usual riff-raff you’d find tromping around some tall grass.

Next, you’ll have a chance to get some very cool items, including Rare Candies, Golden Razz Berries, and Technical Machines. Rare Candies are like candies that can be used on any Pokémon regardless of type. Golden Razz Berries greatly increase your chances of catching a Pokémon in the wild, and also fully restore your Pokémon’s motivation at the gym (something I wish worked on me).

Technical Machines come in two varieties: Fast Technical Machines and Charged Technical Machines. Each will teach your Pokémon the move listed on the Machine, where the Fast ones will only teach fast moves and Charged ones will only teach the more powerful second moves.

That’s it! That’s all you need to know. Now, get out there and take down some Raid Bosses!

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