Analysis: Here are the top Legendary Pokemon to raid for Pokemon Go Fest 2021

Niantic dropped two major pieces of news for one of the biggest parts of “Pokemon Go” — raids. Coming this summer, players will see a revamp of the system that will introduce Trainer Achievements, visual upgrades and other quality-of-life improvements.

Along with that, the company revealed what Legendary Pokemon are coming to the raid portion of Pokemon Go Fest 2021. The event will feature four themed hours that rotate throughout the day and will give players a chance to grab shiny Pokemon that have been missing from their collection.

A NEW LOOK AT THE GYMThe most interesting news is a reimagining of the raid system. Niantic is spicing up the process by introducing post-battle rewards that are handed out after each victory. It sounds like an “Overwatch”-style approach to raids that highlights player contributions. Players will earn achievements for the following:

• Delivering the final attack
• Dealing the most damage overall
• Keeping a single Pokemon in a battle for the longest among all participants
• Using the tallest Pokemon among all participants
• Joining the raid from the farthest distance
• Using a Mega-Evolved Pokemon in a raid
• Changing the avatar’s clothing or pose
• Using the most Charged Attacks among participants

The achievements will have different levels and they appear to be a way for players to earn more medals. They go from bronze to silver to gold. It’s unlikely that they can help you with the level 49 quest that requires 35 platinum medals. The other big part of this is that players will have a Trainer Achievement Card that can be downloaded and shared across social media. I suppose it’s a way to brag about your raiding prowess, or it can be a reminder of how much you’re investing in the game.

The way this is shaping up, it will hopefully encourage more players to tweak their lineups and put their best squads forward instead of using the Recommended team, which often isn’t the best. The way the awards are doled it, it sounds as though newcomers have access to some of them and they won’t only be dominated by veterans.

Along with the new feature, players will find new art and user interfaces that will hopefully make the raid experience more visceral and easier to use. The big question that arises from this is how Niantic will improve the quality of life for raids. One of the more annoying parts of the process is waiting for the countdown timer when everyone is ready or if players can just solo a one- or three-star raid.

Another issue is keeping track of remote players vs. in-person players when organizing teams for a battle. Often, players run into bugs where they can’t see players in the lobby and that can be a detriment when figuring out when a raid is near the max number of remote players.

DETAILS OF POKEMON GO FEST 2021 DAY 2Niantic says the visual makeover will arrive “ahead of summer,” so that likely means they’ll be ready for the second day of Pokemon Go Fest, which is shaping up to be an expensive day for those hunting shiny legendaries.

If players missed out on a chance for catching shiny legendary in the past, then 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 18 will be your best chance yet to catch one. These are the Pokemon that will be appearing on Day 2 raids.

Wind Hour (10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.): Mewtwo (shiny available), Ho-Oh (shiny available), Latias (shiny available), Latios (shiny available), Regigigas (shiny available), altered forme Giratina (shiny available), Cresselia (shiny available), Virizion (shiny available) and Therian forme Tornadus.

Lava Hour (11 a.m. to noon and 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.): Moltres (shiny available), Entei (shiny available), Regirock (shiny available), Groudon (shiny available), Heatran (shiny available), Reshiram, Terrakion (shiny available), Therian forme Landorus and Yveltal.

Frost Hour (noon to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.): Articuno (shiny available), Suicune (shiny available), Lugia (shiny available), Regice (shiny available), Kyogre (shiny available), Palkia and Kyurem. Regional legendaries Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf will appear in their designated zones.

Thunder Hour (1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.) Zapdos (shiny available), Raikou (shiny available), Registeel (shiny available), Rayquaza (shiny available), Dialga, Cobalion (shiny available), Therian Forme Thundurus, Zekrom and Xerneas.

RAID PRIORITESOf all those legendaries, I would prioritize the following:Mewtwo — This is the best generalist in the game. It’s useful in both PvP and raids.

Altered forme Giratina — This is a dominant legendary for PvP and a pretty good one for raids though there are better options if you’re attacking Psychics.

Groudon — This is a powerhouse in PvP thanks to the addition of Fire Punch and it’s also indispensable in some raids.

Reshiram — This is the top fire Pokemon and it’s a must for raids.

Yveltal — Although it doesn’t dish out the most damage per second, it is tougher than Darkrai, making it one of the better dark types in the game and good pick for Maser League.

Kyogre — This is among the top water types in the game. It’s great for raids and also has uses in PvP.

Palkia — The addition of Aqua Tail has made this legendary better in PvP, and though it still hasn’t caught on with the meta.

Registeel — This is the current monster of Ultra League but the thing is players will need Candy XL to get the most out of it. Raids will help with that.

Dialga — This Pokemon’s steel typing has made it a stalwart in Master League. If you can get Candy XL for it, even better.

Zekrom — The thunderous counterpart to Reshram is also one of the top electric types in the game. It will be useful in both raids and PvP.

Lugia — The addition of Aeroblast has boosted this Psychic Pokemon’s profile in Master League. It also has great bulk and defense to compete.

Ho-Oh — With Incinerate, Ho-Oh has had a renaissance in Go Battle League. The Rainbow Pokemon is a heavy favorite in Master League and decent pick in certain raids.

Cresselia — This is one of the best psychic Pokemon for Ultra League and should be on your list if you compete in PvP.

In addition to these Legendary Pokemon, ticketed players will have some nice perks such as 10,000 XP for raid battles and access of up to 21 free passes. For hard-core players, that won’t be enough so they’ll likely need more passes as the day goes on. The event will do this to my wallet:

This is what I envision @NianticLabs and @PokemonGoApp is going to do my wallet on July 18. pic.twitter.com/pWHBWBdhla

— Gieson Cacho (@gcacho) June 24, 2021