Is this Raikou worth powering up?
This is the best Raikou I have.
1883CP 11A/15H/15D w/ thundershock/wild charge
Raikou is also no longer available where I am.
Answers
If that had turned out to be the best Raikou I could catch, then I would power it up without question. My original strategy was always to take at least one of each legendary to 30, which I have done except for Articuno (I will one day but don't need it right now) and Entei (which I don't need, either, but probably will after this month). Suicune might be the one exception to that strategy; I'll decide when it hits my area in a few days. But I doubt my mind will change.
Raikou is the only legendary that I have maxed out (mine is 91% with 14A/13D/14S), and I use it almost every day. It's become one of -- if not my absolute -- favorite mon in my top-tier. It's certainly my most useful legendary at the moment. It's going to be the best electric type for quite a while, barring a moveset change that improves the Zapdos options.
Actually, I did get one with a 15 attack, but the other stats were both lacking. While I also appreciate why some folks prioritize attack at the expense of others, I don't obsess over it and look for a balance. When given a choice between a 14/13/14 vs a 15/10/10, I'm going with the former. The better overall stats are more important to me than some theoretical breakpoint against a specific mon at a specific level. But that's just me. :)
i'd not underestimate the value of break points on monsters with very fast attacks (thunder shock here) but you are right it's pointless anticipating a non-raid boss defender's breakpoints and it'd take a 15 attack lv.39 raikou to do max dmg vs the only current decent water boss - vapeoreon.
personally i'll still always go with 15 attack as top hp/def might make you last a couple of seconds longer (not even that if you eat a charge move) but top attack saves you seconds per fight which does add up plus means less incoming dmg. still talking about minute differences between raid catches so it is satisfying to get the highest CP available :)
It depends if you need the Raikou to speed solo a Vaporeon or not, 11 attack can't reach the final breakpoint to a Vaporeon raid boss, which would affect your time. Otherwise, even with 11 attack, Raikou having the right moveset and being at level 30 is still a beast in normal gym battles, it is just marginally slower than the higher attack IV ones. What's more, if you just want to accomplish a Vaporeon solo, this Raikou at lvl 30 would be your MVP.
