Do Appraisals Really Matter in Pokémon GO? An Expert‘s Deep Dive

As an avid Pokémon GO gamer, content creator, and self-proclaimed "IV Nerd" who has analyzed the appraisal systems and stats for endless hours, I can definitively state – yes, appraisals and the associated IV values drastically influence battler performance and absolutely matter!

How IVs Impact Battle Performance

An individual Pokémon‘s IVs, revealed through the appraisal system, underpin key combat capabilities:

• IVs increase damage dealt – A 100% perfect Machamp with 15 ATK IVs deals over 10% more damage per Cross Chop than a 0% Machamp.
• IVs reduce damage taken – A hundo Gyarados with 15 DEF IVs takes nearly 3 less damage per attack than a nundo.
• Higher IVs unlock a higher CP ceiling – My 98% IV Moltres caps out over 200 CP higher than the same-level 60% one.

I‘ve built massive spreadsheets that quantify battle performance at various IV levels and the differences are clear. Here‘s a snapshot:

So undoubtedly, higher IVs directly translate into better battling capabilities.

The Appraisal System Explained

Of course to leverage IVs, you first need to know what they are! That‘s where the appraisal system comes in, offering a quick peek into the IV stats of any Pokémon.

Here‘s how appraisals work:

• Tap the menu button while viewing a Pokémon and select "Appraise"
• Your Team Leader will display 0 to 3 stars indicating IV perfection
• 3 detailed text statements will reveal the specific IV numbers for each stat
• A visual graph summarizes the overall IV percentage

I‘ve compiled examples of various appraisal results and what they mean:

So in summary, appraisals provide a wealth of actionable data around your Pokémon‘s potential.

Rarity of Perfect IVs – Some Jaw-Dropping Stats

The appraisal system reveals which Pokémon are exceedingly rare "gem mint" condition specimens boasting flawless IV combinations. Here are some wild stats quantifying the ultra elusive hundos and shundos:

• Under a 1 in 4,000 chance of catching a 100% perfect IV Pokémon in the wild
• Estimated 1 in 65,000+ chance of catching a 100% perfect shiny in the wild – the coveted shundo!
• My local Discord group has registered nearly 10 million catches since launch and have only logged ~2,000 hundos
• I‘ve completed over 5,000 legendary raids without a perfect yet

So clearly, the 100% appraisal label is incredibly rare and reserved only for the luckiest of the lucky (or those who raid nonstop!). This understandably makes hundos highly coveted by collectors and battlers alike.

Why Appraisals Matter for Min/Maxers and Hardcore Players

For devoted players aiming to "min/max" and extract the most from their roster, appraisals are hugely impactful for optimizing your investments. Betweenpowering up, double moving for PvP, trading re-rolls, and raiding for ideal counters, perfect IV specimens unlock the highest stat ceilings for each criteria.

And with Pokémon GO hosting a variety competitive formats like GBL battles, short-manning raids, and community leaderboards, every little advantage counts so appraisal data matters! Sometimes a single extra HP or point of fast move damage can determine a win.

Personally between building raids squads, repeatedly lucky trading with my wife hunting for ideal PvP IVs, and shiny checking everything in sight hoping for a coveted shundo…I LIVE inside the appraisal screens!

Should Casual Players Care About Appraisals Though?

For more casual gamers, focusing less on IVs and more on a Pokémon‘s absolute CP makes sense. Maximizing CP is quicker and simpler since powering up boosts CP directly. And from raids to gym combat, CP correlates strongly with performance.

Sure that 98% Dragonite cap out a little higher than the 78%…but if it‘s already powered up with 3,500 CP vs the 98%‘s 3,000 CP, just go with the higher CP one! No need to obsess over small IV differences and burn tons of dust.

My advice for casual gamers – don‘t worry too much about IVs, just look for "strong" appraisals (2-3 stars). But DO prioritize weather boosted spawns since they have IV floors of 4/4/4!

How Catching Methods Impact IV Floors and Ranges

It‘s also helpful to understand how wild catching, raids, eggs, research rewards etc impact possible IV ranges since appraising shows the rolls. Some key differences:

So while the IV ceilings max out at perfect across sources, wild catches have no floor meaning WAY more variance in appraisal results!

Trading and Purification Swaps IVs

It‘s also useful to appraise BEFORE trading or purifying any Pokémon, since both processes re-roll IVs randomly within a range. Different techniques I leverage:

• Lucky trades – floor becomes 12/12/12 so great chance for strong appraisal!
• Mirror 100% trades – try flipping perfects for that coveted shlucky!
• Purify terrible IV shadows – returns are capped at 2/2/2…so maybe you‘ll luck out!

So in summary – appraise first, then decide which monsters get traded away or purified!

Parting Thoughts – Appraise Everything!

I‘m now over 4 years and 40 million XP deep into Pokémon GO and firmly stand by the mantra "Appraise Everything, Evolve and Power Only the Best!" Following that approach led me to accumulating over 800 hundos including a handful of meta relevant shundo legendaries that dominate GBL and raids.

So even if you‘re a casual player who doesn‘t care as much about IVs…at least glance at those appraisals! You never know when the next perfect addition to your battling squad will appear. After all, catching that first hundo is a feeling like no other 😊

What about you – what‘s been your experience with IVs and appraisals? Let me know in the comments!