Pokémon Go Max Battles explained, including how to Max Battle, how to win and Max Battle rewards

How to Max Battle in Pokémon Go explained: How to join a Max Battle

Max Battles looks quite similar to raids on the surface, but, when you delve deeper, you'll discover a number of important facts you need to take into account when using this Pokémon Go feature. This is especially the case when it comes to joining a Max Battle.

Firstly, you can not use Remote Raid Passes to join a Max Battle, which means you must visit a Power Spot in-person to conduct one of these battles. Due to this, you may have some trouble partaking in Max Battles if you live in a rural location where Power Spots are a rare occurrence. Hopefully Niantic will come up with a solution in the future…

You can use the Power Spot tab in your Pokémon radar, found in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, to locate your nearest Power Spot Boss. This tab contains a list of the nearest Power Spots, which boss can be found there and how long which Power Spot will be active for.

Remember - Power Spots only remain active for a short period of time, so, if there's a Dynamax Pokémon you really want nearby, make sure you take the time to catch it.

Secondly, you need a Dynamax Pokémon to partake in a Max Battle. This may seem like a difficult feat to achieve when the main way to obtain Dynamax Pokémon is by defeating them in Max Battles where they're referred to as a Power Spot Boss. Thankfully there's a couple of ways to obtain them outside of these battles.

Progressing through the 'To the Max!' quest offers you the chance to catch both a Dynamax Wooloo and Skwovet. It's also possible to trade Dynamax Pokémon. This means, if you don't want to start battling with a Normal-type Dynamax Pokémon, you can always trade with a friend to get something different. (It may even turn Lucky…)

Thirdly, you need Max Particles to join a Max Battle. The amount of Max Particles will differ depending on the star rating of the Max Battle you wish to join, with one-star Max Battles requiring 250 Max Particles for example. Thankfully, Max Particles are only consumed if you win the Max Battle. This means, unlike raids, you can easily attempt the battle again if you lose.

Fourthly, only four players can compete in a Max Battle at one time. Due to this, you may need to conduct some careful coordination when partaking in Max Battles with a group of friends to ensure nobody is left battling a Power Spot Boss alone. Though, depending on how powerful your Pokémon are, you may find you're able to defeat a Power Spot Boss all by yourself. I was able to defeat one-star Power Spot Bosses alone by just Dynamaxing a single Pokémon, but I wouldn't be surprised if three-star Max Battles are a lot more challenging.

So to summarise, to join a Max Battle you need:

• To visit the Power Spot in-person.
• A Dynamax Pokémon.
• Collect Max Particles.
• Including yourself, a total of four players or under depending on the strength of the Power Spot Boss.

With these facts in mind, it's now time to take a look at how Max Battles work…

The Dual Destiny Season is here! It brings the Holiday Part 1 event with it. You can now catch Dynamax Pokémon through Max Battles. First, however, you need to visit Power Spots to collect Max Particles and complete the To the Max! quest. Don't forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.

How to win a Max Battle in Pokémon Go: Max Battles explained

The way Max Battles work in Pokémon Go, much like joining them, shares similarities with raids, but has a number of unique mechanics which you should pay attention to.

Firstly, there's two important facts you need to remember - you can only use Dynamax Pokémon in Max Battles and your team can only consist of three Pokémon. Due to this, it's worth investing in your Dynamax Pokémon's Max Move for, while you can easily defeat a one-star Power Spot Boss alone, battling a three-star one will be a whole different matter. Keep an eye on your Dynamax Pokémon collection as it builds as well to ensure your team is suited well for the upcoming battle.

Though, you may not be facing a Max Battle alone. When you arrive at a Power Spot you may notice a little trophy symbol in the top-right hand corner. Pressing on it will reveal a list of all the Pokémon placed at the Power Spot by previous trainers. These Pokémon will assist you in battle until either the Power Spot closes or they've partaken in a certain number of battles by providing an attack bonus. The more Pokémon there are, the higher this bonus will be. You can even place your own Pokémon at a Power Spot, which we cover in more detail in the next section.

It's also possible to check the attack bonus you'll get for a Max Battle by pressing the fist logo when selecting your team before entering a Max Battle.

When you first start a Max Battle, you'll be able to attack using Fast Attacks and, with enough energy, Charged Attacks like usual. As you do so, however, you'll notice the Max Meter filling at the top of the screen. You may even notice additional energy spawn, which you can collect by swiping the screen and doing so will further fill this meter.

Once the Max Meter has filled, you'll be able to Dynamax your Pokémon for three turns! It's even possible to switch which Pokémon you wish to Dynamax before the process takes place by selecting another member of your team (listed on the right-hand side of the screen) before the Dynamax counter finishes counting down.

During these three turns, you'll be granted access to the Dynamax Pokémon's Max Moves. Each use of a Max Move counts as one turn, so you have three full chances to use one of your Dynamax Pokémon's Max Moves. The important thing to note though is that the attack move, the name of which depends on your Pokémon's type, will automatically count down during this phrase. Since it acts as your timer while in this stage of the battle, you can either let this attack play automatically, select it yourself or choose another attack.

Just remember to invest some Max Particles in unlocking and levelling them up to empower your Dynamax Pokémon. After these three turns have passed, your Pokémon will return to its original form. Don't worry though - you'll be able to Dynamax it again!

While battling the Power Spot Boss, watch out for the notification signalling that it's targeting you for an attack - it's a series of three lines which appear above your Pokémon's head. Make sure to dodge when this occurs to avoid taking any unnecessary damage.

You must defeat a Dynamax Pokémon before all of your Pokémon are defeated. If all of your Pokémon faint, then the Max Battle will be over and you'll have to try your luck again if you want to capture a new Dynamax Pokémon. Thankfully, your Max Particles are only consumed if you win the Max Battle so re-entering the Max Battle is easy.

Finally, there's a feature which only comes into play when you're facing a three-star or higher boss in a Max Battle. If you're fighting alongside other players and all your Pokémon faint during one of these battles, you'll be able to cheer your teammates from the sidelines. Doing so will cause their Dynamax metres to fill faster and, hopefully, help them take down the Power Spot Boss in your absence.

Don't forget - while every Max Battle costs a certain amount of Max Particles to enter, this resource is only consumed if you win the Max Battle. Due to this, you can easily retry a Max Battle if something goes awry and causes you to lose the fight.

Max Battle rewards in Pokémon Go explained

The main reward you'll receive from successfully completing a Max Battle is the chance to catch a Dynamax Pokémon in Pokémon Go.

Just like in a regular raid, the Pokémon you'll find yourself catching is the same as the Power Spot Boss you've just defeated, so, if you've been battling a Charmander for example, you'll get the chance to catch a Charmander with the ability to Dynamax. For one-star Max Battles, I always received 10 Premier Balls. Run out of Premier Balls before catching the Dynamax Pokémon? Well then you'll just have to defeat it again in another Max Battle.

Great news - I can confirm it's possible to catch a shiny Pokémon from a Max Battle encounter! The sparks do shine when the Pokémon appears and the shiny icon does appear by their name, but the red hue Pokémon gain while Dynamaxing does hide their new colours somewhat. (Though I was catching a shiny Skwovet, which is purple to begin with so other shiny Pokémon may be more apparent.)

Keep in mind that, during your attempt to catch a Dynamax Pokémon, there will be an animation which sees your Poké Ball transform. This animation may cause a small amount of lag before you're able to throw your first Poké Ball.

Alongside this Pokémon encounter, winning a Max Battle will also net you some XP and items like Rare Candy, Super Potions, Revives and Golden Razz Berries. If you're Trainer Level 31 or above, then you may also receive some Candy XL for the Pokémon you've just defeated. When it comes to XP, you'll earn 10,000 XP for successfully winning a one-star Max Battle.

You can also spend 200 Poké Coins to upgrade these rewards, including an increased amount of XP, items and Premier Balls.

Finally, you'll also be given the chance to place a Pokémon from your winning party at the Power Spot. It is possible to skip over this step if you so choose. If you don't, however, then this Pokémon will go on to assist other players in their Max Battles until either the Power Spot closes or said Pokémon has entered a certain number of battles. Remember - you can keep track of how long a Power Spot will be active by checking the relevant tab in the Pokémon radar in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.

As mentioned above, other players will receive a damage boost from your Pokémon, which will increase as more Pokémon are added to the Power Spot. In return for this assistance, you'll earn additional candy for the Pokémon you've placed in the Power Spot. The number of Pokémon placed at a Power Spot also increases the chances of encountering Pokémon in its surrounding location.

Selecting a Power Spot after having placed a Pokémon there will allow you to view your selection alongside the ones placed by other trainers. You can also check which Pokémon you've placed at Power Spots by opening your Pokémon Storage and seeing which ones have the golden Power Spot logo next to them. Here you can also find how many battles a Pokémon has joined, along with how much Candy and Candy XL you've earned.

Selecting one of these Pokémon through your Pokémon Storage will offer you the option to recall them from the Power Spot whenever you like thanks to the helpfully labelled 'Recall' button. Just keep in mind that you'll have to defeat another Power Spot Boss if you want to place them again.

Personally, you can place up to 20 Pokémon at different Power Spots. Yet, it's important to note that each Power Spot also has a limited amount of space for Pokémon. This means you may defeat a Power Spot Boss only to discover that you're unable to place one of your Pokémon due to a lack of room.

Good luck in Max Battles in Pokémon Go!