Raid Day
Hisuian Samurott, the Sharpness Pokemon, has at last appeared from the distant past! This Water/Dark Type starter is making its debut in Pokemon Go. It's going to be a fun raid day that's easy to take down solo, so get ready for a resource farm!
As a Tier 3 boss, Hisuian Samurott actually isn't a difficult boss to fight. It has weaknesses to Electric, Grass, Fighting, Fairy, and even Bug, so there are a lot of different, powerful options to solo it. While it doesn't have a tremendous amount of utility right now, it's still a great dex fill and a good chance to get some low-effort resources, and if you happen to get a good one then you can plan to drop an Elite Charged TM to get Hydro Cannon when it inevitably get it, so it's definitely worth hitting this event.
Raid Day Basics
| Raids Start | Raids End |
|---|---|
| 2:00 p.m. local time | 5:00 p.m. local time |
What Exactly Is a Raid Day?
A Raid Day is a limited-time event where a given Raid Boss will take over all available gyms, allowing players to raid for it en-masse. However, gyms that already have raids when the event starts will not shift and will be virtually excused from the event. During this time, players are able to spin any Gym to obtain additional daily raid passes. This means that it's possible to complete up to 7 raids free-of-charge over the course of the event via the following tactics:
- Save your free raid pass from the day before
- Pick up your normal daily free raid pass during the event
- Pick up the five free daily passes during the event
Note that these raid passes will not stack, meaning you'll need to use one before obtaining another.
Remote Raids will also have their limitations lifted a bit, giving players the opportunity to use up to 10 for the day.
Finding a Team
While Hisuian Samurott is not a hard boss to solo, connecting with a raid group can be helpful for some players. In this case, just 1 additional player should be enough to get most players over the top for this boss. Finding a group can be done in many ways, but here are a few suggestions:
- Contact your personal friend group and get any decent raiders onboard
- Connect with Niantic's Campfire to find local raid groups
- Check your Social Media of preference for raid groups by searching "Pokemon Go (your area)" to see if you can join in with them
- Go to an area with a high concentration of gyms and look out for people on their phones/check Gyms for active raids
Getting Ready
here's a quick check-list for ensuring that you're ready for the raids that are to come:
In-Game Checklist
- Determine Your Goals!
- A High-IV Raid Boss or two? a good Shiny? Candy/XL Candy? We all have our own reasons for hitting up this event, so make sure that you have a goal in mind so that you know your stopping-point, if applicable.
- Stock up on Revives and Potions
- Make sure that you're ready with a full team of six appropriate raiders
- Figure out if you want to Mega Evolve a Pokemon for this raid. It's not necessary for most players, but can be helpful.
- Consider using a Lucky Egg/Star Piece. This may not be the best event for these items, but they may be worthwhile for some trainers.
Should I Buy the Ticket?
The ticket for this event costs $5, or whatever your local equivalent may be, and it will reward the following:
- 8 additional Free Raid Passes for the day
- Increased odds of Rare Candy XL
- 50% more Raid XP
- 2x Raid Stardust
This means that this ticket can be a good source of resources for those willing to spend a bit.
Real World Checklist
- Dress appropriately and comfortably for your local weather
- Ensure that your phone is charged and ready for the event
- Remember all game-related accessories that you may utilize (Pokemon Go Plus, external battery, etc.)
- Determine approximately how many raids you want to participate in
- Purchase raid passes in advance for however many raids you may want to hit beyond the free 5-7, and purchase the ticket if you're so inclined.
- Determine a location that has enough gyms to suit your goals
- Make an attack-plan for the most efficient order in which to hit these gyms
- Ensure that you're set to work with your raid group if you can't solo Hisuian Samurott.
Closing
This Raid Day isn't the best, but it's a relatively easy solo with free raid passes, so it's a no-brainer for anyone who has the time to go out and hit it. Regardless, best of luck as Hisuian Samurott makes itself known at last.
