A Very Unofficial Pokemon Go Strategy Guide

[Chawizawd]

Hey beginning trainers! I come bearing knowledge! Now, to start I would like to state that I am by no means an expert in Pokemon Go. I played the beta pretty extensively, I've been diving into the full release as well, and there's some things I've learned which may help you. My intention is not to be the very best, like no-one ever was. Well, maybe some day. Today my intention is to share a little bit of knowledge that could save you hours, days, perhaps weeks of gameplay. If I can do that, then this guide will officially be a success! And I am hopeful that trainers with more knowledge and wisdom than myself will come forth and offer advice as well! First off, here are some core principles to the game, just to clear things up a bit. I am sure much of this is obvious to you all by now, but it is nice to start with a solid foundation.
 

• Resources - When you catch a Pokemon, you gain an amount of three different resources: Exp, Stardust, and Candies. Exp goes towards you as a trainer, not directly to your Pokemon, and the higher level you are influences the rarity of Pokemon you encounter, which evolutionary stage they are at, and what their CP (combat points) are at. Stardust is used in conjunction with Candies to Power Up your Pokemon, which will increase both HP and CP independantly. Candies are also used to Evolve Pokemon, which of course completes your PokeDex in addition to boosting their CP and HP. Evolving Pokemon also grants the trainer Exp.
  

 

• Catching - Absolutely everything you encounter is catch-worthy, but whenever you encounter a new Pokemon you will want to take advantage of the Lucky Eggs to maximize your Exp gains. I recommend using a Lucky Egg right after getting the starter, and again every time before catching a new Pokemon you haven’t previously caught, because the first catch will always grant an additional Exp boost. There are multiple different ways to throw the Pokeball. They are the Curveball, Nice Throw, Great Throw, and Excellent Throw. They improve odds of capture and grant additional Exp to the trainer upon a successful catch.
  

 

• Items - The most important item for Exp gains will be the Lucky Egg. It can be utilized while catching Pokemon, and it also doubles the Exp gained from Pokemon Evolution. The next best item to use on your journey is the incense. It creates a pull around you that attracts wild Pokemon. Lastly, the Lure Modules attract Pokemon to PokeStops, and when used in conjunction with your incense, results in maximum Pokemon saturation. Razzberries will increase your chance to catch an individual Pokemon, so save those for harder to catch finds.  
  

 

• Locations - There are two types of locations you will encounter, Pokestops and Gyms. Pokestops distribute items to the Trainer when they are near, and the reset is once every 5 minutes. Gyms are used to generate PokeCoins. PokeCoins can be used to buy all ingame items, and are only earned by Trainers whose Pokemon are defending Gyms, not those attacking them.
  • PokeStop strategy: Since Pokestops reset their items every 5 minutes, it is best to either plot a course with several PokeStops along the way, or sit in an area where multiple PokeStops are within range. A popular tactic is to find a park with 2 or 3 PokeStops within range, find some shade, and simply wait. Other trainers travel up and down a course in order to increase the Pokemon variety. A great tip is to plant a Lure Module at one or more PokeStops to increase the influx of Pokemon per stop, and keep the incense going as well! 
    

 

• Gyms
  • Attacking: Taking on opposing Gyms is useful to take control and earn PokeCoins. The Trainer can swap out Pokemon in the middle of battle, or run from the Gym, but cannot use healing items in the middle of battle. Each Pokemon posted at the Gym will be faced in succession so it is wise to bring several battle ready Pokemon to attack. Once the Gym in defeated, the Prestige level is reduced. It can be brought down enough to drop the Gym level, reducing the number of defending Pokemon, until it is finally brough to 0 Prestige. At such a time the attacking Trainer can post their own Pokemon and control the Gym.​​​​​​​
    
  • Defending: Each Gym has slots for Pokemon defenders based on Prestige level. The more you battle your own team’s Gym, the more Prestige you build in order to plant defending Pokemon. Up to 10 Pokemon can be posted at a Gym so it’s important to get your Pokemon in quick before the slots fill up. You want to make sure the Pokemon you deposit does not share Type disadvantages to the other Pokemon in that Gym, and you want to make sure that it has a high enough CP to thwart any attacking Trainers. That said, you should not deposit all your strongest Pokemon, so that you have something with which you may challenge opposing Gyms.
    

 Exp Exploits - Utilizing the Lucky Egg at an early point is absolutely crucial to gaining the most amount of Trainer Levels in the fastest possible way. There are several applications for the Lucky Egg, including Catching Pokemon, Evolving Pokemon and Hatching Pokemon. Every possible source of Trainer Exp will be doubled with the use of the Lucky Egg, and higher Trainer Levels grant access to stronger Pokemon, so this is a nifty trick to get the hang of.
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• Catching Pokemon
  • New Pokemon (500) + Catch (100) + Throw (10/ 20/ 50/ 100) = 600-700 x Lucky Egg = 1200 - 1400 Exp Points!
    
• Evolving Pokemon
  • ​​​​​​​Evolved Pokemon (500) x Lucky Egg = 1000 Exp Points
    
  • It should be noted that each Pokemon needs a specific number of Candies to advance in its evolutionary line. Pidgey, Caterpie, and Weedle all require possibly the least Candies (12), so by hunting these Pokemon and evolving them with the Lucky Egg, you can rise in levels much faster than by evolving other Pokemon!​​​​​​​
    

MORE COMING SOON GUYS!

There is much more to the game, including team dynamics, interaction within your local Pokemon Go community, and traveling to find new Pokemon everywhere you are. But this is your start. This is your head start. Enjoy Pokemon Go! Get out there and catch 'em all!