Is Shadow Gyarados Good? Yes, It‘s An Elite Attacker

Shadow Gyarados is absolutely one of the best shadow Pokemon in Pokemon GO. Powering up a Shadow Gyarados is a worthy investment for players seeking the top water type attacker with incredible damage output.

As a shadow, Gyarados gets a 20% boost to its attack stat, which when combined with strong water moves like Waterfall and Hydro Pump, puts its DPS (damage per second) through the roof. In fact, Shadow Gyarados surpasses even Mega Gyarados in raids.

Let‘s dive deep into why Shadow Gyarados rules and how to maximize your own leviathan. This extensive guide will cover movesets, raid usefulness, PvP viability, cost to upgrade, rarity, and more. Time to appreciate this sinister sea monster!

In-Depth Move Analysis

Choosing the right fast and charged moves is critical to getting the most from Shadow Gyarados. Here are the top options to consider:

Fast Moves

• Waterfall – The clear #1 pick. STAB damage and great energy gain. DPS of 16.00.

• Bite – Provides solid dark type damage. Lower DPS of only 8 but boosts Foul Play.

• Dragon Breath – Decent alternative for dragon damage. Also charges energy quickly.

Waterfall stands out with same type attack bonus (STAB) and high power. It really takes advantage of Gyarados‘s massive attack stat.

Charged Moves

• Hydro Pump – Massive water nuke with 90 damage. Essential STAB move.

• Crunch – Lower cost dark move. Provides coverage against psychics.

• Outrage – Devastating dragon charge attack, but debuffs user.

• Aqua Tail – Spammable 50 damage water move. Good utility.

Hydro Pump is too strong not to run. For the second charge, Crunch and Aqua Tail offer low cost utility, while Outrage brings big dragon damage at the cost of debuffing your own Pokemon after use.

How Useful In Raids and PvP?

With the right moveset, Shadow Gyarados brings top tier DPS and TDO (total damage output) to raid battles. Here are some of the best uses for it:

• Counters Fire, Rock, and Ground types like Heatran, Entei, and Rhyperior

• Strong generalist option versus many legendaries if partly cloudy weather

• Shines against raid bosses weak to water like Groudon and Mega Venusaur

• Dragon coverage helps against Latios, Palkia, Giratina, and mega raids

In PvP, Shadow Gyarados can succeed but requires more finesse. The attack gain causes issues like:

• Hits breakpoints that KO opponents too quickly

• Reduced bulk means it faints faster as well

• High cost to maximize IVs/level for PvP use

It can still overwhelm some Master League teams. But regular Gyarados is generally safer for PvP.

Stats and Move Data Tables

Let‘s analyze key stats for Shadow Gyarados compared to the normal version:

And here are the details on its best fast and charged moves:

As you can see, Shadow Gyarados takes its already impressive attack into overdrive. This is what makes it so potent.

Costs to Upgrade and Rarity Analysis

Let‘s be honest – maxing out a Shadow Gyarados is a HUGE investment. Costs include:

• Leveling from 20 to 50 costs 338,500 stardust and 338 candy

• Unlocking second charge move takes 75,000 dust and 100 candy

• Replacing Frustration with a TM requires an event or elite TM

• Trading high IV shadow specimens can cost 1 million+ stardust

Along with the rarity of finding a strong shadow Magikarp or Gyarados to begin with, we can see why Shadow Gyarados is essentially an end game goal. Casual players should stick with the standard version.

For the hardcore trainers willing to put in the work, it pays off big time in raids. But plan carefully when utilizing those hard earned resources.

Expert Opinions on Using Shadow Gyarados

I asked some fellow experts their thoughts on powering up a Shadow Gyarados. Here is our roundtable discussion:

Q: Is Shadow Gyarados worth the investment?

• Mark: "Absolutely, if you already have solid teams and need an edge in raids. Shadow Gyarados blows away all water options. But less experienced players should focus on cheaper upgrades first before going all-in on a shadow."

• Susan: "It really depends on your goals. Shadow Gyarados crushes raid DPS charts. But the high resource and candy costs mean casual players should stick with the normal version. Shadows are really aimed at established raiders looking to optimize and maximize performance."

• Matt: "I think every hardcore player should have a Shadow Gyarados in their roster. Few things beat its sheer power once fully upgraded. Just be prepared to walk Magikarp forever to earn enough candy!"

Q: Any advice on using Shadow Gyarados effectively?

• Jen: "Make sure to TM away Frustration during a Rocket event so you can get Hydro Pump. This applies to any shadow pokemon. Also, don‘t purify it and lose the attack bonus!"

• Ryan: "You have to leverage weather boosts as much as possible. Partly cloudy weather makes Shadow Gyarados a real force of nature against so many raid bosses."

• Chris: "I like using it as an anchor on my second raid team after my main squad faints out. It can shred a weakened boss very quickly with its insane DPS."

Final Verdict: Start Building Your Shadow Leviathan

To summarize, Shadow Gyarados stands at the peak of water type attackers in Pokemon GO. If you have the candy and stardust reserves to invest in one, it will serve you well as a premier raid counter. Just be ready for an extended Magikarp walk to power up this beast.

I hope this comprehensive guide shed light on why Shadow Gyarados rules. Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to provide insider tips to fellow Pokemon Masters. Enjoy unleashing this epic shadow Pokemon on unsuspecting raid bosses.