Pokemon Go’s “impossible” Shadow Legendary Raids desperately need revamp
NianticShadow Raids are among the most daunting challenges in Pokemon Go, thanks to the enraged Boss mechanics and Remote battles being ineligible. They’re not an easy challenge to take on, and some in the community even think they need a revamp.
Unlike regular Raids, the Shadow Boss becomes enraged, causing its Attack and Defense to get boosted several times during the battle. So, instead of solely relying on high damage from strong Pokemon, many trainers need to take part to defeat it.
Shadow Legendaries are OP in the meta due to the 20% boost to their offensive power at the cost of 20% nerf to their bulk. While they are not as tanky as their regular version, the damage output makes them the best attackers in the game.
This makes these species highly coveted among fans but due to their Raid restrictions, as trainers can’t find enough people to take down the Boss.
One such player is Reddit user ‘average_airsofter2’ who couldn’t find anyone during the Shadow Lugia Weekend event held between August 10 and 11, 2024. What’s worse, the OP couldn’t even invite their in-game friends since these Raids can only be battled locally.
The issue could be solved if Remote Raid Passes were allowed. Doing so would make it easier to find more combatants to take down the tough Shadow Boss instead of hurrying to the battle locations only to find no one around.
Another inconvenience is the random timings of Shadow Raids where the Boss abruptly spawns for 25 minutes. This is a far departure from regular Raids where the Raid Boss stays for 45 minutes. The situation is so bad that players declared these bouts “impossible to do.”
One trainer said, “They should allow you to join if you can see the gym on the map.” With this, players can find out where and when the Raids are being hosted, helping them plan the battle more easily and increase their chances of success. We’ll have to wait and see if devs Niantic bring these changes to Shadow Legendary Raids.
In the meantime, if you’re unable to beat Shadow Bosses in Pokemon Go, you can check out the remaining Raids in August, including exciting grabs such as Mega Kangaskhan and Thundurus Incarnate.