Is It Worth Using Rare Candy in Pokemon Go? An Expert Strategy Guide

As a long-time Pokemon Go trainer and gaming content creator, I can definitively state yes, rare candy is extremely valuable and worth prioritizing for powering up certain key Pokemon. But maximizing your rare candy returns requires following some key best practices. Read on for an detailed guide to rare candy and when it should be used to give your battle teams a proven edge.

Why Is Rare Candy So Valuable in Pokemon Go

Before covering specific usage strategies, it‘s important to understand why rare candy is considered so precious in Pokemon Go compared to regular candy. Some key reasons:

• Very Limited Acquisition Sources: You can only obtain rare candy reliably from completing high-level raid battles, difficult Special Research tasks, or ranking rewards in GO Battle League. Even then, drop rates max out at just a few pieces per encounter.

• Zero Natural Spawns: No wild spawns mean no way to grind species candy through catches. You only have what you currently own.

• Power Up Multiple Species: Unlike species candy which only powers one Pokemon family, rare candy boosts ANY species in your roster. Extremely versatile.

This built-in scarcity combined with versatility is what makes rare candy a highly efficent power-up resource for select Pokemon. You have to be far more judicious given the limited quantities available.

Best Use Cases for Rare Candy

So when exactly should you be dipping into your rare candy reserves? Here are the top use cases I recommend based on playtesting and meta analysis:

1. Legendary & Mythical Pokemon

Legendary and mythical Pokemon have powerful combat potential. But with extremely limited appearance rates in raids or Special Research, you‘ll be starved for species candy. Using rare candy is the only reliable way to power them up.

Top Choices: Mewtwo, Rayquaza, Kyogre, Groudon, Dialga

2. Unlocking 2nd Charge Moves

You have enough candy to evolve a Pokemon but are just short for a potent 2nd charge move? Rare candy can neatly fill that gap so you aren‘t left with an unfinished moveset.

3. Favorites Needing Power-Ups

Have certain favorites like your starter Pokemon or special shinies you want to max out? Candy may be scarce if their species doesn‘t nest or spawn frequently. Rare candy lets you push them to their ceiling.

Top Choices: Starters, baby Pokemon, regional exclusives

4. Pokemon Missing Optimal Attack

Do you have a high IV meta Pokemon that‘s missing the exclusive Community Day or special event move? Rare candy allows you to evolve another of that species to try securing that special attack again rather than waiting months.

How Much Rare Candy Should You Keep?

With rare candy in such constrained supply, how much should you try keeping in stock at all times before spending? Here are some guidance benchmarks:

As you gain more access to raid battles and GO Battle League rewards post-level 35+, maintaining reserves of at least 100 is recommended. However, don‘t let candy reach the maximum item storage cap as that‘s 1,500 units going to waste!

Downsides to Using Rare Candy

While rare candy has tremendous upside, what downsides or risks are there around overusing it? A couple key factors:

• Zero Stat Boosts: Unlike normal species candy, rare candy only provides raw XP not additional stat product. So Pokemon powered up solely with rare candy may cap out weaker than those boosted through actual training. Ensure you balance both together.

• Can‘t Replenish It Easily: If you burn through all your reserves, recouping 100+ rare candy can be an extremely long grind. So consume judiciously rather than recklessly.

Expert Tips on Using Rare Candy

I reached out to prominent Pokemon Go analysts Nick from Trainer Tips and Reversal from YouTube to get their pro tips on best practices for maximizing your rare candy returns:

"Always keep around 100 rare candy so you‘re prepared to instantly power up a great Legendary raid catch," suggests Nick. "And make sure to set aside candy for whatever the next exclusive raid boss is rather than overinvesting it all."

Meanwhile, Reversal offered this tip: "Don‘t forget that rare candy XL exists now also! When your legendaries hit level 40, rare XL is the only way to keep powering them up further. So keep grinding those higher tier raids and Battle League!"

Excellent reminders that rare candy management is now a long-term investment to build up BOTH standard and XL reserves.

Putting It All Into Practice

So let‘s put this guidance into action by looking at a real-world example of optimal rare candy usage. Say I recently caught a perfect IV Shadow Mewtwo:

Now with Mewtwo candy being extremely hard to obtain outside brief raid events, I‘ll need to invest around 300 rare candy to evolve, 2nd move unlock, and max out level 50 power-ups.

That‘s a heavy rare candy expenditure! But for such an elite PvE and PvP performer like Shadow Mewtwo, it makes total sense even if it wipes out most reserves. An investment that will pay dividends for a long time.

Given limited acquisition rates but extremely versatility, rare candy in Pokemon Go should be prioritized first and foremost for powering up legendary, mythical, and other rare Pokemon. These are species you likely lack candy for otherwise.

Investment into favorites and optimizations like 2nd charge moves can pay off nicely too. Just be careful not to recklessly burn through reserves that are slow to rebuild.

By following these best practices and strategy tips, your rare candy investments will offer guaranteed power-ups for your best battle teams. Ultimately giving you an edge against other players and gyms!

What‘s your rare candy strategy? Share any tips in the comments!