The Workings of Raids

I've been in several raids by now in Pokémon Go and I can stand to give a general idea of how they work, as well as how they tie into my general experience. It is this general experience that also may be useful for other players considering to undertake raids. It's by no means comprehensive, but at the least it may help others in their course of action. In that regard, there is a good deal to know about raids so that they may be beneficial.

First up, raids occur intermittently, though almost assuredly in the active portion of the day and night, when people are likely to be playing the game. A symbolic egg appears in a Gym and hatches to the raid boss after a set period of time, signifying the start to the raid and prompting Gym Pokémon to "hide"; raids also last for a set period of time, at which point the Gym returns to normal. Sometimes I've seen raid eggs appear almost suddenly when playing, which is why it's a good idea to check every so often.

Players need a Raid Pass to participate in a raid; by spinning a "Gym stop" (the photo disc for the Gym), players can get one daily if one is not already present. This means that a player can effectively participate in two free raids each day: one if they already have a Raid Pass that they didn't use the day before, and two by getting the daily free pass. This is in fact a good practice that I follow - grab a Raid Pass on a day I cannot raid, then save it for a day when I'm active, or use it the very next day and save the next one I get. After that, players need to spend Pokécoins on a Premium Raid Pass. Ex-Raids have their own pass, given when one is triggered, and are counted separately.

After selecting a raid to partake in, players surrender their Raid Passes and select a group to participate in; after a two-minute wait for other players, the raid begins. A raid battle proceeds like a normal Gym battle, except that it is one or more players against one more-powerful-than-normal Pokémon. A victory awards players bonus items and experience points, as well as Premier Balls based on performance (including teams, which may become a good impetus for creating private groups) to be used in the Bonus Challenge for catching the raid boss. Whether the catch is successful or not, the victory is still a victory.

I've stated earlier in my post on claiming a team that I cannot raid alone, but that is not entirely true. It is possible to raid alone, depending on the raid tier and Pokémon; currently, I can do tier 1 on my own, but need assistance on higher tiers - meanwhile, some of my raid mates can manage to raid even tier 3 ones by themselves, while beyond that, we'd need to huddle together. Still, a raid is designed to be a concerted rather than individual effort, which is why I value cooperation (and find fun in it) rather than going solo. For that, I encourage trying to find local groups and congregate and collaborate with them.

Raids are not only novel when it comes to Pokémon battles; they're also unique and especially rewarding when done right. It's worth knowing some of the "bones" regarding the experience so that players can take advantage of it. I've done quite a bit of that, and I've found what makes them that way. I can stand to offer the same for other players so that they may really get into this part of the game.

One year ago: Poké Ball Food