Pokemon Go Raids are some of the most important and fun parts of the game. The Raid feature is not only the best way to cooperate with friends or other players, but also the only way to catch certain Legendary Pokemon and get Mega Evolution in Pokemon Go. .
But we are getting ahead of ourselves. While veteran trainers will know all about the Pokemon Go Raid feature, there are some newcomers or returning players who might want to brush up on the basics and learn about everything new that has been added to the feature in the years since the game’s release.
In this handy guide, we’ll dig into the intricacies of what Pokemon Go Raids exactly are, how they work, and what to expect. We’ll also explore the different Raids trainers will face, and even how to team up with a friend from the other side of the world.
Without further ado, here’s everything Pokemon Go trainers need to know about the Raid system.
How to join the Pokemon Go raid?
Have you noticed the towers where the eggs spin in the upper world of Pokemon Go? These are Raids.
Raids are when Gyms host a Pokemon that trainers can battle and catch. These Eggs will appear periodically and will be accompanied by a timer. When the timer reaches zero, the Egg will crack, revealing which Pokemon is there.
Trainers can find nearby Raids by pressing the nearby function in the lower right corner and tapping the Raid section. The level/difficulty of the raid is determined by the number or color of symbols next to the Egg in this section. The most common and easiest to defeat, Tier 1 Raids have pink colored Eggs that appear above Raids. Level 3 Raids have yellow Eggs, while Level 5 Raids have purple Eggs with white stripes. Mega Eggs are beige and red in color and will pop up as often as Level 5 Raids.
There are also Level 4 Raids that take place a few hours after certain Community Day events end. These Raids often feature a member of the Pokemon’s evolutionary line. Defeating a Level 4 Raid will cause spot Pokemon to spawn frequently in that area for a short time.
Of course, this is new development for Pokemon Go, so we recommend checking out our dedicated Community Day guides to learn about these special Raids.
To participate in the Pokemon Go Raid, trainers need to be at the respective gym within 45 minutes after the Egg hatches. As long as you have a Raid Pass, which is given for free once a day on the first Gym PokeStop spin of the day, you may have a chance to take down the Raid boss. If you want to Raid more than once a day, you can purchase Premium Raid Tickets for 100 coins each from the in-game shop.
also there Pokemon Go Remote Raid Passes allowing trainers to participate in any Raid even if they are in a different country. Trainers can purchase these special Raid Passes from the in-game store for 100 coins, or get three Remote Raid Passes for 250 coins.
It’s pretty easy to invite your friends to the Raid. Instructors just need to follow the steps below:
How to invite your friends to the Pokemon Go Raid
- Join a public or private Raid Lobby.
- Tap the Invite Friend button on the right side of the screen.
- Choose the friends you want to invite to the raid (up to 5), then tap “Invite Friends”. Note that there is a limit to how many Trainers can participate in a Raid Battle remotely, and this limit also applies to invited friends. While you can invite up to 5 friends at the same time, you can invite more of your friends to the same lobby after a short cool-down period.
- After sending your invitations, recipients will receive a notification that they were invited to a Raid War. Invited friends can join the Raid Battle even if you have to leave the lobby yourself. However, if you are the only Instructor in the Raid Lobby and you leave the lobby before anyone else (invited friend or otherwise) joins, invited friends can no longer join the lobby at your invitation.
How to accept a Pokemon Go Raid invite?
- When invited to Raid War, you will receive an in-game notification (if the app is open) or a push notification (if the app is running in the background or closed). However, you’ll only get push notifications if the “Raid Invites” setting is turned on in your Settings menu.
- You can tap the in-game notification to directly access the Raid War you’ve been invited to.. Tapping a push notification opens the Pokémon GO app, and then you can tap the active raid invite from the “Coming soon” menu.
- When you access the raid screen, you can join the lobby by tapping the “Battle” button. If you are not within interaction distance of the Gym, you must use the Remote Raid Pass, or if you are within interaction distance, you must use the Battle Pass.
- Note: You will not be able to join if the Raid Lobby is already full, or if the lobby has the maximum number of remotely raiding Instructors.
- If you have never joined the Raid Lobby, the invitation will disappear after the Raid War has started. However, if you successfully start the Raid War through an invitation but encounter an error and are unable to complete the battle, the invitation will remain in the “Soon” menu and will allow you to rejoin as long as the Raid War continues. You can meet and capture the Raid Boss a few minutes after the Raid Battle is over.
What are Mega Raids in Pokemon Go?
Mega Raids are a little different from the other Raids we’ve discussed in the sections above. While these Pokemon only contain Mega Evolved Pokemon, trainers cannot catch them in their Mega Forms.
In other words, if you capture a Mega Charizard after defeating it, the capture screen will have you attempting to capture a regular Charizard. Benefits from completing Mega Raids come from the Mega Energy gained. This currency is the only way to Mega Evolve your Pokemon. And while there are other ways to get it, beating Mega Raids is the fastest way to do it.
You can learn more about Mega Raids and Pokemon Go Mega Energy in our guide.
What are Elite Raids in Pokemon Go?
Elite Raids in Pokemon Go is a relatively new addition to the game.
These Raids, as the name suggests, are for Elite Trainers preparing for battle. These Raids only occur for a limited time, and their frequency is still questionable.
Again, we recommend following our guides to find out when the next Elite Edition will be.
But the good thing is that Elite Raid Eggs give trainers warnings of when they will spawn. These Eggs take 24 hours to hatch and the Raid Boss will only appear for 30 minutes after hatching, so be sure to gather your friends and arrive at the Raid site on time.
We also recommend preparing your team ahead of time. Pokemon Go will let trainers know which Pokemon will appear in these Elite Raids, so you’ll have plenty of time to assemble your team.
However, in Niantic’s latest attempt to get players to go out and interact with others, Epic Raids can only be entered in person. This means that Remote Raids do not work in these Raids.
Learn more about Instructors Pokemon Go Elite Raids in our guide.
Pokemon Go raid times
Generally speaking, Pokemon Go raid times are completely random. There’s no way of knowing when an egg will appear above a particular gym or which Pokemon will hatch, but there are a few guidelines.
Pokemon Go raid eggs only spawn between 05:30 and 19:45 local time. This means raid bosses will be available from 6:30am to 9:30pm after hatching. This is because Niantic doesn’t want players wandering the streets in the middle of the night for obvious reasons. However, you can participate in remote raids in different time zones, provided you have a friend who can invite you and you have a Remote Raid Pass.
Every Wednesday will be Raid Time from 18:00 to 19:00 local time. This is when most, if not all, of the nearby gyms will set up level-five raids with whatever legendary Pokemon are in the eggs at the time. This changes frequently so be sure to check it out.
Pokemon Go raid tips
Pokemon Go Raids can be difficult depending on the Raid’s level. Tier 1 Raids are very easy and can be done solo by any trainer as long as they know the type matches.
Level 3 Raids can be a little tricky. Due to the timed nature of Raids, trainers who want to take on the Raid alone should have no problem taking down these Pokemon as long as they deal enough damage before the time runs out. These Raids can be easy if you can get one or two friends/strangers to help.
Level 5 and Mega Raids are where the challenge comes in and it takes a lot of trainers to beat it. These raids can range from around 30,000 boss CP to 50,000 and you cannot complete them alone. Depending on which Pokemon are in the current raid pool, this is where you can catch the legendary Pokemon and other perks.
Make sure you stock up on potions and learn the counters of the Pokemon Go raid boss you’re up against so you can build your party accordingly. If you do not have a strong opponent, give preference to multi-faceted monsters; Tyranitar and Dragonite are two good examples. Good luck!
Pokemon Go Zapdos counters | Pokemon Go Moltres counters | Pokemon Go Articuno counters | Pokemon Go Mewtwo counters | Pokemon Go Entei counters | Pokemon Go Raikou counters | Pokemon Go Suicune counters | Pokemon Go Latias and Latios counters | Pokemon Go Landorus counters | Pokemon Go Tornadus counters | Pokemon Go Thundurus counters | Pokemon Go Cresselia counters | Pokemon Go Genesect counters | Pokemon Go Xerneas counters | Pokemon Go Yveltal counters | Pokemon Go Rayquaza counters | Pokemon Go Lugia Counters | Pokemon Go Mega Pidgeot Counters | Pokemon Go Zamazenta Raid Counters | Pokemon Go Mega Beedrill Counters | Pokemon Go Palkia Raid counters | Pokemon Go Dialga Raid Counters
