Pokémon Go is holding its first-ever Fighter-type event, and that means there'll be more Fighter-type Pokémon popping up in the wild and as Raid bosses, as well as increased XP for battling in Gyms and Raids, and even bonus items when you spin the discs at Gyms. Here are the details!
What is this Special Battle Showdown of which you speak?
From Pokémon Go:
It's time to test the strength of your Pokémon during a special battle event! Fighting-type Pokémon, such as Machop and Makuhita, will appear more frequently in the wild starting May 1 at 1:00 p.m. PDT.But what's a battle celebration without some competition at your nearby Gym? Until May 14, you'll receive 2× bonus XP for Gym Battles and Raid Battles. Plus, Raid Battles will also award a guaranteed 3,000 Stardust for participating—and at least one Rare Candy if you win!Several actions at Gyms will yield bonuses, including a 2× Badge multiplier, so you can receive even more benefits at a Gym you visit frequently. Just stopping by? Spinning the Photo Disc at Gyms will also yield more items!
When does the Fighting-type event start and end, exactly?
The Special Battle Showdown is already underway, but here are the times:
- Starts: May 1, 2018 at 1pm PT / 4pm ET.
- Ends: May 14, 2018 at 1pm PT / 4pm ET.
Which Pokémon are Fighter-types?
There aren't a ton of Fighting-type Pokémon in Pokémon Go, but as Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 3 have been released, the numbers have started to stack up.
- Mankey
- Primeape
- Poliwrath
- Machop
- Machoke
- Machamp
- Hitmonlee
- Hitmonchan
- Heracross
- Tyrogue (Eggs only)
- Hitmontop
- Combusken
- Blaziken
- Breloom
- Makuhita
- Hariyama
- Meditite
- Medicham
OK, but which are the GOOD Fighting-types?
Good question. Fighter types are super effective against some of the best Gym defenders and Raid bosses in the game, but two of them really stand out.
- Machamp is one of the best attackers in the game. It's the Blissey-breaker, Snorlax-slayer, and Tyranitar's bane. It hurts the best Gym defenders in the game and some of the toughest bosses in Raids. You want good ones and you want to power them up.
- Hariyama doesn't do damage quite as quickly as Machamp but it's tough enough to do damage longer. If you don't have enough Machamps, Hariyama is the next-best Fighter to fall back on.
Are any of them now Shiny?
Yes! So far, the following new Shiny Fighter-type Pokémon have been found:
- Makuhita
- Hariyama
- Meditite
- Medicham
What are the new Fighter-style Raid bosses?
- Tier 2: Combusken and Primape
- Tier 3: Breloom, Hitmonchan, and Hitmonlee
No Hitmontops yet, alas.
And this is a good time to get your Black Belt gold medal?
Never been a better time. Catch 200 Fighter-type Pokémon and the Black Belt gold is yours. (And the added catch bonus for future Fighter-types along with it.)
You can also use the Gym rewards as an excuse to up your Battle Girl medal, if you haven't hit gold yet. That lets players with female avatars unlock some special clothing options.
And, of course, up your Champion and Battle Legend medals. At 1000 Raids needed for gold in each, most people will still be working on it. And working on it...
What does the 2x XP bonus for Gyms work out to?
For Gym battles, not much. For Raid battles, wow:
- Beat a Gym defender: 200 XP
- Beat all Gym defenders: 50 XP
- Beat a Raid Boss: 6,000 XP
- Beat a Legendary Boss: 20,000 XP
Any Special Battle Showdown questions?
If you have any questions about the Pokémon Go Special Battle Showdown, drop them in the comments below!
