How Effective Are Shadow Pokémon? A Comprehensive Guide
Shadow Pokémon are incredibly effective, offering a significant offensive advantage in both PvP (Player vs. Player) and PvE (Player vs. Environment) battles in Pokémon GO. The core of their effectiveness lies in a straightforward trade-off: they gain a 20% boost to their Attack stat but suffer a 20% reduction in their Defense stat. This seemingly simple change has profound implications on how Shadow Pokémon perform in combat, particularly in raids and gym battles. In essence, they are glass cannons: dealing massive damage but being more vulnerable to incoming attacks. However, in many situations, the increased damage output significantly outweighs the reduced durability, making Shadow Pokémon a highly desirable and powerful option for many players.
Understanding the Shadow Advantage
The key benefit of using Shadow Pokémon lies in their ability to deal considerably more damage. This 20% damage boost applies to both their Fast and Charged Attacks, effectively allowing them to take down opponents faster. This is particularly impactful in PvE scenarios like raids and gym battles where time is often of the essence. The increased damage output allows players to complete raids faster, and contribute more to team damage, leading to more rewards. The “Shadow Bonus” is displayed next to their attacks in the summary page, much like a weather boost.
Shadow Pokémon in PvE
In PvE battles, the offensive boost of Shadow Pokémon is more beneficial than the defensive reduction. When battling against raid bosses or gym defenders, you are aiming to dish out as much damage as quickly as possible, and the 20% Attack boost translates to taking down opponents with far greater efficiency. The defensive decrease becomes less crucial because many high-level raids require constant healing anyway and focus more on damage output, thus making Shadow Pokémon ideal glass cannons.
Shadow Pokémon in PvP
The application of Shadow Pokémon in PvP is more nuanced. The lower defense stats can make them easier to take down, leading to complex strategies. However, the raw damage output can also prove essential, allowing for quicker wins if the player can use their shield effectively or is against an opponent they can easily out-damage. Therefore, while Shadow Pokémon are not necessarily automatically better than their regular versions in PvP, they can still prove very effective when used strategically.
Shadow Pokémon vs. Regular Pokémon
A common question that arises is whether Shadow Pokémon are better than their regular counterparts. The answer is almost always: yes, in PvE. A 0 IV Shadow Pokémon will often outperform a 100% IV regular Pokémon in terms of damage. This is because the damage bonus is so substantial that it compensates for the lower base stats. The defensive drop off only becomes significant in very specific circumstances; in most raids the faster you can get to and use charge attacks, the better. This means that Shadow Pokémon will typically perform better in the majority of raid scenarios.
While purified Pokémon gain increased IVs, they lose the crucial Shadow damage bonus, making them weaker in PvE. The defensive benefit offered by regular or purified Pokémon does not usually compensate for the enormous increase in the raw damage output from Shadow Pokémon, meaning the offensive trade-off usually wins out.
The Worth of Purifying
Purifying a Shadow Pokémon offers a few benefits. It provides an immediate boost in Combat Power (CP) and reduces the candy cost for evolution. Purified Pokémon will also see a 2 point increase to all their IVs which may bring a low-star Pokémon to a higher-star variant. These benefits might seem appealing, but they come at the cost of losing the powerful Shadow bonus. It is worth purifying for cost effectiveness and PvP usability, however for raw damage the Shadow bonus is unparalleled.
Key Takeaways about Shadow Effectiveness
- Damage Boost: Shadow Pokémon deal 20% more damage with all attacks.
- Defense Reduction: They take 20% more damage from incoming attacks.
- PvE Dominance: The increased damage makes Shadow Pokémon superior for raids and gym battles.
- Nuanced PvP: They can be effective in PvP but require strategic use.
- Shadow Bonus: Visible on the Pokémon summary page next to attack moves, like Weather Boosts.
- Purification: Removes the Shadow bonus, but provides a CP increase and reduces the candy cost for evolution.
- Un-tradable: Shadow Pokémon cannot be traded to other players.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Shadow Pokémon
1. Should I keep my low CP Shadow Pokémon?
Yes, low CP Shadow Pokémon are still worth keeping for their Shadow damage bonus. While their initial CP may be low, their damage output remains higher than that of normal Pokémon, making them very useful. Additionally, they can be purified for potential CP and IV increases if desired.
2. Are Shadow Pokémon better than 100% IV normal Pokémon?
In most PvE situations, yes. A 0 IV Shadow Pokémon typically has a higher damage output than a 100% IV normal Pokémon. This is due to the substantial 20% damage bonus they receive.
3. Is it worth evolving a Shadow Pokémon?
Yes, it is definitely worth evolving a Shadow Pokémon. An evolved Shadow Pokémon retains its Shadow bonus and will remain more powerful than its regular or purified counterpart, at least in PvE.
4. Should I purify my Shadow Pokémon to get perfect IVs?
Generally, no. Purifying a Shadow Pokémon gives it increased IVs but removes its damage bonus. It’s usually better to keep it Shadow for the offensive advantage, particularly for PvE.
5. Are purified Pokémon stronger than Shadow Pokémon?
No, Shadow Pokémon are generally stronger in PvE due to the 20% damage boost. Purified Pokémon are more cost-effective due to reduced candy and stardust requirements for powering up, and they have higher base stats meaning they perform better in PvP.
6. Is it better to purify or evolve a Shadow Pokémon first?
It is generally better to purify a Shadow Pokémon before evolving it if you choose to purify. Doing this will reduce the candy costs for evolution. However, remember that purifying will remove the 20% Shadow attack boost, so consider if you actually want to purify or not.
7. Can a 2-star Shadow Pokémon become a 3-star?
Yes, purifying a Shadow Pokémon can increase its IVs by 2 points each, potentially turning a 2-star into a 3-star. But remember that you will be losing the Shadow damage bonus.
8. Is a 0% IV Shadow Pokémon rare?
Yes, a 0% IV Pokémon is extremely rare, even more so for Shadow Pokémon. Many players keep them for their rarity, and because they still outperform many regular Pokémon in terms of damage.
9. What are the best uses for a 0 IV Shadow Pokémon?
A 0 IV Shadow Pokemon is still a strong choice for PvE battles, outdamaging almost all other versions of the same Pokémon due to its damage bonus. They are also kept for collection purposes because of their rarity.
10. Should I keep my shiny Shadow Pokémon?
Yes, absolutely. Shiny Shadow Pokémon are exceptionally rare and are very sought-after by collectors, making them valuable and great for battles.
11. Can I trade Shadow Pokémon?
No, Shadow Pokémon cannot be traded to other players.
12. Is Shadow Tyranitar worth it?
Yes, Shadow Tyranitar is one of the most powerful and valuable Pokémon due to its high base stats and the Shadow damage bonus, making it a top-tier choice for battles.
13. Is it smarter to power up Pokémon before evolving?
It does not matter if you power up before or after evolving if done all at once. But if you are powering up over the course of several days or more, it’s better to evolve first, to make sure that you get the moveset you want.
14. Why do Shadow Pokémon have low CP?
Shadow Pokémon initially have lower CP, but this increases dramatically after purification. However, most players will want to keep them as Shadow Pokémon due to the damage boost.
15. What happens if I evolve a Shadow Pokémon before purifying it?
You can still purify a Shadow Pokemon even if you already evolved it, but purifying after evolving will not lower the candy cost of the evolution. The Pokémon will retain the Shadow aura and the Shadow damage bonus unless you purify it.