Not strategy you have to commit to doing yourself, but smart things to tell others they should do. I'll list a few generic things I wish I was able to actually do:
1. Minimum 2 million stardust floor
2. Max bag space
3. Max pokemon storage
Add any others and/or disagree with any of my first three coach's directives
Disagree with 1. , 1 million is more than enough, or actually even less if this is followed:
I feel 2 and 3 are definitely good ones. However the more impatient player may elect raid passes instead...
4. Only power things you are going to max to level 40 anyway
5. Only max 96+ Pokémon. Preferably with 15 attack too.
6. Evolve level 34+ weather mons to act as your main attacking base with 0 stardust investment
I like the premise of your additional three especially given the new meta. But I’d be a little more forgiving so i’d add to each:
4) unless a breakpoint can be reached for ~20k or less in a best in type mon (say boosted Ttar to 27 vs MewTwo/Zam)
6) i’d Lower the threshold to 31+ for 25&50 candy evos, but keep 34+ For 125+ candy evos unless it’s a maxing candidate.
Disagree with 4 and 5. Most trainers will never reach level 40 and many attackers are useful at level 30 (for instance, soloing Gengar and Machamp is feasible with a level 30 team). Only powering up near-perfect mons incurs a significant opportunity cost (in possibly lacking a crucial attacker for a long time).
Singapore is very urban and I am level 36 (no longer spend real money on the game), but only Tyranitar and best Dragonite, Entei and Golem are only 91% (they still do their job well). Although Magikarp used to be common trash in my biome (before weather was introduced), my best Gyarados is only 93%. Ironically, I do have a 96% Vaporeon and a 96% Exeggutor (both common), while my only 98% attackers (Alakazam and Blaziken) are due to sheer luck.
(Of course, standards are important and I would never power up a mon that is not likely to make much headway in battle, but the standards must be reasonable.)
I just made up a number, I've never had more than 500,000--even when I was getting 5k a day and using coins to run incubators to clear out for 10k eggs (Gligars and Sudowoodo). Some of these super strategists have 500+ rare candy, never below 75 balls of each type and 3-5 million stardust---thought I would bridge the gap between them and more reasonable players
I think good/persistent players realized XP not an indicator of much, but stardust saved a better bragging point. With the weather wild catches impulsive players got a blanket mulligan, especially since it doesn't take that long to get to level 30-32. Power ups start to get very expensive (especially since eggs not a common generator anymore)
I live in a top 10 USA population city...there are houses though and most parks close when dark (plus I have a 3y/o). I have 14 gold gyms pretty close by, each 1 to 3 miles away, so I can fill up balls ok. Many times I catch things that pop up in my living room and I feed berries...that just doesn't make me feel good about doing a lot of 10k power ups or saving up a big bank. I recognize way better off than those that go 5 miles to one stinking gym/pokestop. Plus there are 4 or 5 EX raid hotspots within 4.5 miles and hundreds of active players get funneled there, not dozens of players (small places) or thousands (Asia/NYC)
I think of saving stardust as keep a big bank account but living in misery since you do not dare spend anything.
I have probably spent more than 23 mill stardust, but only one had above 300.000. Usually I spend it as soon as it comes in. But then I always have good raid team no matter what raid boss.
In misery, really? I have almost 1.5mil, and don't know how to spend it. Now I just try to evolve lvl35 mons, and power up only really good iv useful mons and still only till last breakpoint, so dust comes faster than I use it.
>I have probably spent more than 23 mill
It's more than 100 maxed pokemons, do you really need that much?
Did not mean towards people who actually use some of their stardust. :-)
But I have come across several who brag about millions of saved stardust, and at raids show up with attackers that not are able to pull their part of the load.
Personally, my hobby is to level things up (102 and counting at the moment) . I rather have a lvl 40 with IV 11 than two 100% at lvl 20.
1. Power up Pokemon that you plan on sticking with in the long run. Use Raid Boss captures and evolved weather-boosted Pokemon in the short run.
2. Save Rare Candies for legendaries.
3. Prioritize fewer, high level mons over many mid-level mons. If you need niche counters stick with high level, evolved mons. Max only the most widely used mons. This doesn't mean to tell them to only max certain Pokemon, but rather that they should select a few good IV mons to max and use them widely.
Another addition (resolution), have a limit on balls thrown at an irrelevant pokemon. I just threw 8 at a wind boosted Yanma, then it fled. It was only 985cp, so not an extraordinary level. Boosted many times means 25 extra stardust...just 1 berry fed gives you 20 stardust and a small chance at a Dragonite candy.
Right now we don't know what Legendary will be released next...it might be Kyogre, it might be very difficult to beat (some may live in snowy and rainy areas), might be tough to catch with less than 10 balls, etc. Personally I don't know why we assume it'll keep its 4800 cp, but if it does...any dust/candy you put to a supreme counter might be worth it.
Having said that my first Mewtwo is level 30, 2nd Mewtwo at 29.5...any old and new stardust going there at the moment...feel I should b/c I have 118 Mewtwo candy remaining after parking a truckload of them there. Mewtwo not helping too much right now, just doing it because--saving some stardust instead might be a wise strategy
Hmm, I partly understand that you might need an emergency power up, but 1mil, 2mil? Are you seriously going to max 6 counters in a pinch? I aim to have ~300k which is roughly one Lv 20–>Lv 30 plus enough to max 1, but i’m also Not afraid to spend it. It’ll take 10 days to get that all back. Most legendaries run at least that long.
I agree, I personally don't save dust but I feel I'm pretty good relative to my city after having spent. I end up with 10+ of every legendary, if I start getting 5 that'll be ok. As I said in another thread, saving charge TMs is pretty important. People sometimes spend stardust quickly for vanity...don't change moves for vanity though--try to save up 4 or 5 ctms
1. Keep track of the ever changing meta. There are 10-12 base Pokemon every trainer needs. Develop those first.
2. Show patience with meta relevant evolutions; don’t rush your Dragonites or Tyranitars
3. Use Stardust on 95+ IV only.
4. Eat your eggs. They’ll get you better Pokémon and are the best source of Stardust in the game.
5. Every event comes with an advantage. Figure it out, and capitalize on it as much as possible.
@2: If I hadn't rushed my first Dragonite I would have missed the chance to have a DB/DC one before it became legacy, so I'd say some Pokemon are worth the risk if their moves are very good at the time you gather enough candies for evolving. That Dragonite is 89% and I've since evolved a 100% and a 98,% both with DT/OU, and I still prefer to use the first one over the last two every single time even though they're all maxed out. DT/OU feels awful and clunky to use, and I don't give a damn if it has a higher DPS rate when dodging becomes virtually impossible in the current Potion-deprived meta. DPS s just the tip of the iceberg.
1) Relax, it is a game, a rather stupid game as well. Enjoy it it for what it is - something to do while walking.
2) Take a decision early on, and stick to it. Do you want to spend money on the game, or not? Remember - not only in-game purchases add to cost. Either play for free or treat it like a moderately expensive hobby.
3) As in any other game, cheating makes the game more boring in the long run. If tempted to play from home by spoofing, could you not find a more interesting computer game?
4) To keep you motivated in the long run, invent small unique pet projects. Like find and max one of each pokemon needing an evoloution item. Or max out one each of the most common pokemon species. People respect those doing their own thing.
5) Respect other people. If they play in a way you do not like, ignore them, do not get angry, it only hurt yourself. Treat people nice, most will be nice back.
6) Have fun, game is meant that way.
One more...
Do not overthink things!
One of the top players in my town was the first year totally clueless (before meeting others at raids). Did not know about different move sets, type advantage, IV or anything you had to go outside the game to get information about.
It did not matter much. She was persistent and played out most of the either top players.
I think there needs to be some context. Are you coaching new players or L30 players? The coaches directives may be different in these contexts?
New players
1. Spin everything and catch almost everything...especially 12 candy mass evolve species, eevee, and exeggcute
2. Use your raid passes
3. Infinite incubator 2k only unless only 5k and 10k. Never use infinite for 10K...unless you have 9 10K
4. Decide if you’re free to play or going to spend money but get as many free coins as possible by defending gyms.
5. Power up strategically...useful for battling or raiding, don’t just power up for the sake of powering up. Not the time for “projects” like 100IV shuckle.
6. Be potion and revive smart (use dust as revive where possible).
7. Don’t be an IV snob. At less than L30, you can’t afford to pass up the 53 IV vapor or eggy close to your max level. That said, save the eeveelution name tricks for higher IV keepers.
8. Be patient on double evolves. For example, wait to take a 73 IV dratini to dragonair until you have 124 candy to go to dragonair and then dragonite. By the time you’re at 124 candies, it’s likely you will have a better level and IV dratini to evolve.
9. Increase bag space 4:1 vs storage. Live within as small of a storage as possible without impacting ability to stockpile mass evolve Pokémon.
L30 player
1. See new player advice except
2. Be a little more picky on IV for powering up and evolving but understand that 0 IV eggy is still better than 100IV Vileplume for battling/raiding.
3. Keep enough dust to accomplish your short term goals. A L30 person who practices newbie #5 probably can’t use more than 100k a day. For example, a L25 weather boosted 100IV catch takes 10 power ups to get to 30. If you Battle to the point of fainting then power up, it’ll take hours(?) to take the mon to L30. (I don’t understand those who catch something and instantly pump dust into the Pokémon to take it to 30 or 35 or all the way to 40.)
1. Play the game in a way that you have fun doing it. Don't change your gameplay just because someone else does it differently or thinks you do it "wrong". It's a game. It's supposed to be fun.
2. Don't knock down a gym at 11:30 at night. Wait until midnight. Seriously. That's the only way to play the game wrong.
I keep it simple if i am a coach
Set up your team so you are not being a burden in a fewer group raids.
And if they like playing solo also
Set your team so you can comfortably win when you soloing tier 3
After that i just tell them
Play whatever you see the most fun for you..
I actually said that in my PoGo group WhatsApp
