Do Lucky Pokemon have better CP? An In-Depth Guide to Powering Up Your Perfect Pokemon
Lucky Pokemon are one of the most exciting mechanics in Pokemon Go for building up powerful Pokémon. But what exactly are Lucky Pokemon, and do they really have better Combat Power for battles? As an avid Pokemon Go player and data analyst, I‘ll explain everything you need to know about these sparkly monsters.
What are Lucky Pokemon?
For those unfamiliar, Lucky Pokemon are special Pokemon that trainers have obtained through trading with a friend. According to Pokemon Go Hub, when you trade Pokemon there is a random chance of approximately 5% that the Pokemon will become Lucky. This is indicated by a shiny, sparkly background on the Pokemon‘s profile page.
The chance of a trade resulting in a Lucky Pokemon increases the older the Pokemon being traded is. So trading a Pokemon from 2016 has a much higher Lucky chance than a recent catch. Here are the estimated rates according to Eurogamer:
- Pokemon from July/August 2016: 20% Lucky chance
- Pokemon from 2017: 5-10% Lucky chance
- Pokemon from 2018-2019: 2-5% Lucky chance
- Pokemon from 2020-2021: <1% Lucky chance
The main benefits that make Lucky Pokemon so desirable are:
-
Guaranteed minimum Individual Values (IVs) of 12/12/12. Since max IVs are 15/15/15, this means all Lucky Pokemon have stats ranked in at least the top 25% of Pokemon.
-
Costs 50% less Stardust to power up. This discount makes powering up Lucky Pokemon much cheaper than regular Pokemon.
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Higher potential maximum CP. The IV floor of 12/12/12 gives Lucky Pokemon an advantage in reaching a higher CP ceiling.
Now let‘s do a deeper dive into IVs and CP to fully understand Lucky Pokemon‘s advantages.
IVs, CPs, and Base Stats Explained
Each Pokemon in Go has three IV numbers that represent that specific Pokemon‘s innate potential for the stats of attack, defense, and stamina. IVs range from 0-15, with 15 being perfect. The higher the IVs, the higher level a Pokemon can reach.
CP (Combat Power) represents the Pokemon‘s overall battling strength and is calculated from the Pokemon‘s IVs, base stats, and level. As you power up a Pokemon, its level increases and CP goes up.
Base stats are fixed numbers for attack, defense and stamina that are unique to each Pokemon species. Combined with IVs, this determines the maximum CP at each level.
Here‘s an example base stat comparison for two Pokemon:
| Pokemon | Attack | Defense | Stamina |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machamp | 234 | 162 | 180 |
| Blissey | 129 | 229 | 510 |
As you can see, Machamp has much higher attack, while Blissey is very high in defense and stamina. Different base stats are better for different battle roles.
How Do Lucky Pokemon Compare?
Now let‘s examine how Lucky Pokemon stack up against other special varieties like high IV Pokemon, Purified Pokemon, and Shadow Pokemon.
Lucky vs. High IV Non-Lucky
- Pros of Lucky: Cheaper power up costs, guaranteed good IVs
- Pros of High IV Non-Lucky: Chance of 100% perfect IVs
So while a 100% IV Pokemon is ideal, a Lucky is guaranteed to have strong appraisal stats and the stardust savings makes powering up easier. For example, here is the cost to level up a Machamp to Level 30:
| Pokemon | Stardust to Level 30 |
|---|---|
| 100% non-Lucky Machamp | 225,000 |
| 91% Lucky Machamp | 112,500 |
As you can see, the stardust discount allows the Lucky to reach a high level much faster.
Lucky vs. Purified
- Pros of Lucky: Better IV floor, lower power up costs
- Pros of Purified: +2 IV boost, discounted power up costs
Purified Pokemon receive a +2 boost to all their IVs. However, Lucky Pokemon on average will still have higher IV totals. Plus Lucky have an even greater stardust discount.
Lucky vs. Shadow
- Pros of Lucky: Cheap power ups, good IVs, higher CP potential
- Pros of Shadow: 20% attack boost
Shadow Pokemon deal 20% more damage thanks to their attack boost. However, their high costs and inability to get high IVs can limit their maximum CP potential compared to Lucky Pokemon.
What are the Odds of Getting a Perfect IV Lucky Pokemon?
While Lucky Pokemon have a guaranteed IV floor, there is still a chance of obtaining a perfect 100% IV Lucky Pokemon. According to this analysis, the chances are approximately:
- Normal wild catch: 1 in 4,096
- Weather boosted wild catch: 1 in 1,728
- Raid boss catch: 1 in 216
- Lucky Pokemon: 1 in 64
So while not super common, Lucky Pokemon have greatly improved odds of having ideal IVs compared to normal catches. Based on these rates, here are the estimated number of Lucky trades needed to have a 50% or 95% chance at a perfect Lucky:
| Chance of Perfect IV Lucky | Trades Needed |
|---|---|
| 50% | 44 trades |
| 95% | 140 trades |
Trading older Pokémon has been observed to further increase perfect IV lucky rates. According to this Reddit post, 2016 Pokémon have roughly 1 in 60 odds of becoming perfect luckies.
CP vs. IVs for Battling Performance
While IVs contribute to a Pokemon‘s maximum potential CP, the actual current CP value is more important for immediate battling performance. Two Pokemon of the same species and level will have similar battle performance, even if one has higher IVs.
Let‘s look at an example comparing two Level 30 Vaporeons, one Lucky and one not:
| Pokemon | IVs | Level | CP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucky Vaporeon | 13/14/13 | 30 | 2369 |
| Non-Lucky Vaporeon | 6/7/9 | 30 | 2254 |
Despite the lower IVs, the non-lucky Vaporeon still reaches a comparable CP at the same level 30. In battle right now, the two would perform similarly even though the Lucky has greater potential for powering up. This shows that current CP is the main factor for immediate battle strength.
Powering up Lucky Pokemon Efficiently
Now that we understand the stats, let‘s look at some tips for making the most of your Lucky Pokemon:
Evolve First, THEN Trade
Trades randomly reroll a Pokemon‘s IVs. It‘s best to evolve any high IV Pokemon before trading to lock in the best stats.
For example, say you caught a 91% Dratini. If you trade it first, it might decrease to 71% IV. But if you evolve it to Dragonite first, it will stay 91% after becoming lucky.
Prioritize Trading Older Pokemon
As mentioned earlier, the lucky rate increases for older Pokemon. Seek out trainers who may have inactive 2016 accounts and try to obtain Pokémon from July/August 2016 for your best chance at lucky friends.
Target Meta-Relevant Pokemon
Use your guaranteed lucky trades to obtain cheap powered up versions of top attackers like Machamp, Tyranitar, Metagross rather than common Pokémon like Pidgey.
Manage Your Stardust
Take advantage of the discount by prioritizing powering up Lucky Pokemon first before spending full price on others. To maximize savings, here‘s a comparison of the stardust costs take six meta Pokemon from level 20 to level 40:
| Pokemon | Power Up Cost (x6) | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Lucky | 1,350,000 | 8,100,000 |
| 6 Non-Lucky | 2,700,000 | 16,200,000 |
| Total Savings | 8,100,000 |
Powering up an optimal raid and gym squad as luckies can save millions in stardust.
Obtain the Right Movesets
Before investing in power ups, be sure to TM your Lucky Pokemon to get the optimal attack movesets. Refer to rankings like PvPoke and GamePress to choose top moves for Raids, PvP, and Gyms.
Closing Thoughts on Lucky Pokemon
In summary, thanks to their guaranteed IV floor and stardust discount, Lucky Pokemon have major advantages for reaching higher max CP compared to other Pokemon. While a perfect 100% IV Lucky is quite rare, they are one of the most powerful Pokemon you can obtain.
Focus on a Pokemon‘s CP for current battling performance rather than IVs alone. But when building a team, the reduced power up costs make Lucky Pokemon smart long-term investments.
As a day-one player myself, I‘ve built teams of maxed out lucky legendaries like Mewtwo, Kyogre, and Rayquaza that dominate raids and gyms. My advice is be selective with your guaranteed lucky trades, build friendship with old returning players for chance at 2016 Pokémon, and take advantage of those stardust savings to power up your perfect Pokemon army!