Is Purified Regirock Good? A Comprehensive Guide
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Is purified Regirock good? The short answer is: it depends on your goals. While a purified Regirock gains some advantages, particularly in terms of cost reduction and improved IVs, it sacrifices the potent Shadow damage bonus that makes its Shadow counterpart somewhat relevant. Purified Regirock is generally not considered a top-tier Pokémon for most scenarios. However, it isn’t completely without value. It’s a more resource-efficient option if you aren’t heavily invested in competitive play and prefer a sturdier, easier-to-power-up version for casual gameplay or collecting purposes. Let’s delve deeper into the pros and cons, and explore when purifying Regirock might be a viable option for you.
Understanding the Trade-offs: Shadow vs. Purified
The crucial difference lies in the Shadow versus Purified mechanic. Shadow Pokémon, including Shadow Regirock, benefit from a 20% attack bonus, making their damage output significantly higher. However, this comes at a cost: they have lower defense and require more resources (Stardust and Candy) to power up. Purifying a Shadow Pokémon reverses these effects. It removes the 20% damage bonus, improves the Pokémon’s IVs by two points in each stat, and reduces the cost of powering up. Additionally, the Purified Pokémon learns the move Return, a Normal-type Charged Attack.
In the specific case of Regirock, its base attack stat is relatively low. This means that the 20% attack bonus from the Shadow form is crucial for it to deal meaningful damage. Without the damage boost, Purified Regirock struggles in comparison to other Rock-type attackers. It falls short in both PvE (Player versus Environment, like Raids) and PvP (Player versus Player) environments.
When Purifying Regirock Makes (Some) Sense
Despite its generally weaker battle performance, there are niche cases where purifying Regirock can be beneficial:
- Cost Efficiency: Purifying significantly reduces the Stardust and Candy requirements for powering up, evolving, and teaching new moves. If you’re on a tight budget, a Purified Regirock is far less expensive to invest in.
- IV Improvement: The +2 IV boost in each stat can elevate a lower IV Shadow Regirock to a more respectable level. This might even turn a 2-star into a 3-star, or a near-perfect IV Pokémon into a true hundo for collection.
- Collection Purposes: Some players prioritize having a Purified version for their collection. If you are a completionist, this alone might be reason enough.
- Return: While not universally useful, Return is a Normal-type attack. For niche situations, and in lower PvP leagues, it can provide some coverage.
- Casual Play: If your aim isn’t to top leaderboards and you’re just playing for fun, then the purified version could be more suitable because of the decreased resources needed.
The Drawbacks of Purified Regirock
The primary drawback to purifying Regirock is the loss of the 20% attack boost. This severely impacts its viability in both PvE and PvP. It transitions from a slightly below-average attacker (as a Shadow) to an even less impressive one.
- Lower Damage: The lower damage output compared to Shadow Regirock, and even other common Rock-type attackers, makes it an inferior option for Raids and Gym battles.
- PvP Performance: While the bulk increase has slight value in PvP, Return is not the most effective move and it’s still overshadowed by other Rock-type Pokémon in the Meta.
- Opportunity Cost: The Stardust and Candy used on powering up a Purified Regirock might be better spent on investing in other, more powerful Pokémon.
Purified Regirock: Final Verdict
Purified Regirock is not generally considered “good” for serious battles or raids. Its main benefits are related to cost reduction and IV improvement, not combat prowess. The loss of the 20% Shadow attack bonus is a significant detriment, outweighing the gains from purification in most competitive scenarios.
However, if you’re a casual player, low on resources, or looking to complete your collection, purifying Regirock might be acceptable. It’s crucial to weigh the advantages against the drawbacks and make a decision that aligns with your playstyle and priorities. If you have multiple Shadow Regirocks and resources are not an issue, keeping one Shadow and purifying the rest is a plausible strategy. If you have very few Shadow Regirocks, it’s best to keep them unpurified and just catch more regular ones.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about Purified Regirock to further aid your understanding:
1. Does Purifying Regirock Increase its CP?
Yes, purifying Regirock will increase its CP (Combat Power). The increase is due to the improved IVs, and while not as significant as other Pokemon, it will boost the CP.
2. What is the Exclusive Move of Purified Regirock?
The exclusive move for Purified Pokémon, including Regirock, is Return, a Normal-type Charged Attack.
3. Does Purifying Regirock Make it a “Hundo”?
Purifying Regirock adds 2 points to each of its IVs (Attack, Defense, and HP). This can potentially turn a lower IV Shadow Regirock into a 100% perfect IV (Hundo) if its initial IVs were very high.
4. Is Shadow Regirock Better Than Purified Regirock?
In most cases, Shadow Regirock is better due to its 20% attack bonus, even though its defense is slightly lower and it costs more to power up. The higher damage output is critical for battles.
5. What is the Best Use for Purified Regirock?
Purified Regirock’s best use is probably as a cost-effective option for casual play and/or a collection piece. It’s not generally recommended for Raids or serious PvP.
6. How Much Stardust and Candy Does it Save to Purify?
Purifying reduces the Stardust and Candy costs to Power Up, Evolve, and teach New Moves. It can be around 20% less costly to Power Up.
7. Should I Evolve Regirock Before or After Purifying?
It is best to Purify before Evolving to save costs. The purification reduction in resources works on all upgrades including evolution.
8. Is Return a Good Move on Purified Regirock?
Return is a decent Normal-type Charged Attack, but it isn’t the most powerful. It can provide a bit of coverage in niche scenarios, however.
9. What Typing is Regirock?
Regirock is a Rock-type Pokémon, which means it’s resistant to Normal, Fire, Poison, and Flying-type attacks and weak to Fighting, Ground, Steel, Water, and Grass.
10. Is Regirock Good in PvP?
Regirock is generally not considered top-tier in PvP, with or without purification. There are many better choices for Rock-type attackers in the meta.
11. Is it Worth Powering Up a Purified Regirock?
That depends on your resources and goals. If you’re aiming for a budget-friendly option for casual battles or collections and are short of resources, then it may be worth powering up. It wouldn’t be worth the investment if you are planning for top-level PvP battles or raids.
12. Does Purifying Change Regirock’s Appraisal?
Yes, purifying a Pokemon will improve its Appraisal. The +2 to IVs will increase the stars on the appraisal if the IVs improved are high enough.
13. Can I Purify a Shadow Regirock that I Already Evolved?
Yes, you can Purify a Shadow Pokémon even if you’ve already Evolved it. The cost of evolution is impacted when done before evolving.
14. How Does the Shadow Bonus Impact Regirock?
The Shadow bonus gives Shadow Regirock a 20% increase to its attack, making it deal significantly more damage than its regular and purified counterparts.
15. Are There Any Scenarios Where Purified Regirock is Preferable?
Purified Regirock is preferable in situations where cost is the primary concern. It is less of an investment than Shadow Regirock, so if you have limited resources, it could be a better choice for casual use.