Mega Gyarados Raid Day Guide

Current reports show that Mega Gyarados Raid Day is starting at 11:00 a.m. instead of 2:00 p.m., and that the raids are rewarding less Mega Energy than expected. Please view the below article for more information.

Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokemon, has risen from the depths and Mega Evolved to lay waste to all that it sees. And now, it's up to us to quell this monster of the deep and claim its power for our own! Pokemon Go is getting ready for yet another raid day, and this time around it's featuring none other than Mega Gyarados.

This one has the potential to be a bit of a challenge for some trainers, so we're here with a guide to help out those who intend to challenge Mega Gyarados when it makes its move. We've got a number of major points to cover, so let's get into it!

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 up to 5 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:

1. Save your free raid pass from the day before
2. Pick up your normal daily free raid pass during the event
3. 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.

Finding a Team

Sadly, it's not possible to solo Mega Gyarados, so connecting with a raid group is going to be important. In this case, you will want at least 3 good raiders, or even more if your group is not as devoted to raiding. 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? Mega Energy? 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 (more on that later)
• Figure out which Pokemon to Mega Evolve in order to maximize damage-output and rewards
• 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.
• Remember that the 100% Catch Rate on shiny raid bosses does not apply here! If you encounter a shiny Gyarados, be ready to catch it normally!

Real-Life 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
• 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, or be ready to arrive early and scout other raid groups that you may be able to join.

I'm not going to sugar coat this; Mega Gyarados is one of the more difficult Mega Evolution raid bosses in the game. It has high Defense, high Attack, and annoying attacks that have outstanding neutral coverage together. The first thing that we recommend is taking a look at the Mega Gyarados Raid Guide in order to get your team ready: 

So now let's say that you've got your team together and you're at your chosen location, waiting on the first raids to pop. At this point, it might be a good idea to look at the teams that your fellow raiders will be using. This will allow you to pick your own Mega Evolution and use it at a time when it will be most useful to the team, even if you don't all work together to sync up your counters. Why is this important? Because this is a Mega raid, and players will be able to score more Mega Energy depending on how quickly you manage to clear it.

If Mega Energy is your goal, then it's definitely recommended that you go the extra mile and try to finish off the raid boss ASAP. And keep in mind that you will need at least 300 Mega Energy in order to actually Mega Evolve your own Gyarados, so the more the better!

And what if you don't have an appropriate Mega Evolution for this raid? Well, then Mega Evolve whatever you may have and leave it out of the raid, as just having a Mega Evolved Pokemon means that you'll gain +1 candy from all of your catches, including all Gyarados catches!

Is Mega Gyarados Worth Raiding?

So now comes the big question: just how beneficial is it to join in on this raid day? Well, Gyarados itself has seen better days. In raids it's been passed up more times than most of us can count, and in PvP it's still useful, but has been waning as of late. The real value here is Mega Gyarados itself. While a bit expensive and not the best performer, it's got the potential to act as a budget Mega that can cover both Water and Dark Types very well. It's overlooked but very useful, and should definitely be a priority when it comes to raising its Mega Level, as a low-cost Mega Evolution, Mega Gyarados has a lot of general utility. It may also have even more value in the future if the Go Battle League ever has an event that opens it up to Mega Evolutions again, as this is a very bulky and spammy monster with good coverage.

Oh, and there's also the fact that these raids will be shiny boosted, so Shiny hunters and those who missed Magikarp's Community Day will have additional reason to join in!

This should be a pretty fun day, for the most part. It's not too cold in many areas of the northern hemisphere yet, and the ability to hit free raids is always a fun prospect. So best of luck, and I hope that you manage to score that elusive 100% shiny on your travels!