Should You Prioritize CP or IVs in Pokémon Go?
As an avid Pokémon Go player and content creator, one of the most common questions I get asked is: should you power up based on a Pokémon‘s CP or its IVs? It‘s an important decision when building your battle teams and investing stardust and candies. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll cover the difference between CP and IVs, along with tips and examples to help find the right balance for your goals.
What is CP and Why It Matters
CP stands for Combat Power. It is a measure of the Pokémon‘s prowess in battles and raids right now.
CP is calculated using the Pokémon‘s:
- Base stats
- IVs (Individual Values)
- Level
According to detailed research and battle simulations from sites like GamePress, a Pokémon‘s CP contributes much more significantly toward victory than IVs.
Higher level Pokémon with shear big CP numbers:
- Deal more damage per second (DPS)
- Faints less often (survives longer)
Basically, high CP Pokémon will perform better in raids and gym battles.
Say you power up two 3000+ CP Tyranitars – one with mediocre IVs and one perfect. Both will contribute a lot more damage compared to a 1500 CP Tyranitar.
Maximizing CP tends to be more important than perfection for winning battles.
What are IVs and Why They Matter for Potential
IVs stand for Individual Values. They are hidden stats that cannot be seen in-game and range from 0 to 15 for:
- Attack
- Defense
- Stamina
IVs indicate a Pokémon‘s potential. They remain the same when a Pokémon evolves.
A 100% IV Pokémon with 15/15/15 will reach 40% higher maximum CP once fully powered up compared to a 0% IV of the same species.
So perfect IVs allow a Pokémon to eventually become as strong as it can possibly be.
[Table showing exact CP differences for species]Finding the Right Balance
Simply put, CP is more useful for winning battles now. IVs indicate future potential.
Some basic tips:
- Evolve high IV Pokémon first
- Power up high CP Pokémon to win raids/gyms now
- Only power up Pokémon above 80-85% IVs
- Perfect 100% IVs are incredibly rare
Trading high IV Pokémon also boosts lucky chance.
But it ultimately comes down to your goals:
Battling and Raiding
Focus on high-level Pokémon with big CP numbers, even if their IVs are just decent or good. Level 30+ weather boosted catches are great candidates.
Getting the right movesets is also key for DPS.
Gym Defense
Similarly, drop high CP Pokémon in gyms to intimidate attackers. Moves to maximize annoyance (like Blissey) also help.
Master League Format
Here you‘ll want maxed out 100% IV Pokémon under the CP cap to squeeze out every point of stats possible.
Finding the right balance means understanding your objectives. Power up based on CP for battling now. But also build up a team of high IV Pokémon to reach their maximum potential.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
