Should I purify Shadow Latios?
As a hardcore Pokémon GO player and content creator, I often get asked if purifying certain Shadow Pokémon is a good idea. And one mon that generates a lot of purification questions is the legendary Eon dragon, Shadow Latios.
So let‘s dive into an in-depth analysis, looking at the pros and cons, game data, and personal recommendations on whether to purify Shadow Latios!
The Quick Answer
Generally speaking, you should not purify your Shadow Latios. As one of the top Dragon-type raid attackers, Shadow Latios will deal significantly more damage thanks to the attack bonus. And the candy/dust costs to purify make it not worthwhile.
However, there are some niche situations where purification may be better. But in most cases, embrace the shadows!
Shadows: More Offense, Less Defense
Now to understand why Shadows are so strong in raids, we need to break down the combat stats.
When you purify a Shadow, its IVs get boosted by +2 in each category (attack, defense, HP). So purification seems beneficial right?
Well here‘s the tradeoff:
- Shadows deal 20% more damage with attacks
- But Shadows also take 20% more damage from opponents
So in essence, Shadow Pokémon sacrifice defense for a big boost in attack potency.
And for raid and gym battles where you‘ll likely outlast the timer anyway, more DPS (damage per second) is ideal. Hence, Shadows excel as raid attackers, while their defensive drawback isn‘t very relevant.
Okay, that covers the combat mechanics. Now let‘s analyze Shadow Latios specifically…
Why Purify Shadow Latios? Potential Pros
First, are there any potential upsides to purifying your Shadow Latios? Let‘s look at a few:
1. Cheaper Powering Up Cost
It takes 3x normal candy/dust to power up a Shadow Pokémon. So if resource cost is a concern, purification brings that cost back down to normal.
However, legendaries already cost a ton anyway. And Latios candy isn‘t the easiest to acquire. So this benefit is kinda negligible.
2. PvP Viability
In player vs player battles, bulk and longevity become more important than raw DPS. So the purified defense boost can potentially make Latios more usable in PvP formats like Master League.
However, Latios itself still isn‘t considered a top-tier PvP mon even when purified. So this is quite a niche benefit.
3. Aesthetics
I‘ll admit it – I‘m not the biggest fan of the dark, glowy-eyed Shadow aesthetic. For collectors and completionists aiming for a living Purified Pokedex, purification may be desirable for cosmetic reasons.
So in summary, reasons to purify Shadow Latios are:
- Cheaper power up costs
- Possible PvP usability boost
- Aesthetic collectibility
However, the cons of purifying arguably outweigh those limited pros…
Why Keep Shadow Latios? Likely Cons of Purifying
Here are some major downsides if you choose to purify your Shadow Latios:
1. Decreased Raid Performance
Let‘s crunch some numbers! According to simulation data, Shadow Latios will deal about 16% more raid DPS compared to the purified version, or regular Latios.
As you can see, the damage output difference is quite substantial!
So if you care about raid performance at all, keeping that sweet Shadow attack bonus is hugely beneficial.
2. Wasted Resources
It requires a whopping 20,000 Stardust and 20 Latios candies to purify a Shadow Legendary.
As a reminder, Legendary candy is extremely scarce. So purifying Shadow Latios means kissing goodbye to months of carefully accumulated candy!
In my opinion, the stat boost and cosmetic benefits just aren‘t worth the hefty resource investment. That candy and dust could be better spent powering up your Shadow to hit higher CP breakpoints.
3. FOMO!
What if you instantly regret purifying your rare Shadow Latios? Purification can never be reversed!
You‘ll miss out on having that super powerful Shadow forever. Personally, FOMO of losing the attack bonus would bug me eternally.
So for me, the opportunity cost and fear of missing out on an elite raider are enough reason to keep my Shadow Latios shadowy!
Let‘s recap the main potential drawbacks:
- Decreased raid performance (-16% DPS)
- Wastes tons of rare candy/dust
- Irreversible! FOMO risk
With the numbers and analysis in mind, here is my verdict…
Final Verdict: Don‘t Purify Shadow Latios!
In summary, purifying Shadow Latios costs valuable limited resources for minimal gains. You lose out on a tremendous attack bonus that vastly improves raid performance.
Foregoing 16% extra DPS for a minor defensive edge and aesthetic change just isn‘t worth it. Those Legendary candies could be better used powering up your Shadow.
The CP boost also won‘t make Latios good for PvP, so no real versatility gain. And you can always purify later if you really want to.
So if you managed to rescue this rare Shadow Legendary, embrace the power of shadows and keep it! Latios will serve you far better as a savage Dragon-type raid attacker while remaining in its Shadow form.
Any other hardcore Pokémon GO gamers have thoughts on purifying vs keeping Shadow Latios? Let me know in the comments!
