Pokemon Shuffle

[Flame Dragon]

I know right. It took me a while to realize how amazing that stages is for getting money. Its part of the reason I had almost 80K before the most recent update. As for who to use, generally speaking it doesn't matter and I've honestly been using it to level grind while money grinding. The most important thing is to avoid pokemon with abilities that will destroy the coin. Side from I'd avoid fighting types since Meowth only has 1160 HP and its VERY easy to just have it accidentally die even without them. Last bit of advice is to only move the bottom left coin and if possible move it above the bottom right one. This way you have better outs to getting either 300 or 500. Even with screw ups and possibly failing to clear because you pulled your punches too much its pretty easy to get like 1100-1500 per session.

[Pchi]

Thanks, Fladra!

[The Warden]

Actually, in my experience I highly recommend you use 1 Fighting type. Aligning the coins can be tricky at times, and sometimes you don't amass the damage needed to win. Also, only try to go for the 300 prize unless you are VERY certain you can align all 5 coins and win.

[Flame Dragon]

Actually, in my experience I highly recommend you use 1 Fighting type. Aligning the coins can be tricky at times, and sometimes you don't amass the damage needed to win. Also, only try to go for the 300 prize unless you are VERY certain you can align all 5 coins and win.

If you using base 70 or 80 power mon it isn't that hard. If you make 2 matches with your 7 moves with pokemon power 70, 70, 80, 80 (1 matches the coins and gets you 0 damage) you'll deal 1050, just a little short of finishing Meowth off. Between having higher power, abilities, getting matches of 4 or 5, getting 3 matches in a single move, or just getting more randomly it really isn't that hard to get the last 110 points. I accidentally kill Meowth WAY more often than I come up short and with a Fighting type is MUCH easier for that to happen.

 

Learning how to best grind for coins does takes some experience. In general I always try for the 500 unless I know I've either dealt too much damage and he'll die before I can set it up or I'm not doing enough and will want the extra moves to finish the fight. Knowing that you have 1160 points to work with in the stage is REALLY important since it lets you know if one of those things is happening. I recommend going for 500 coin if you can get a line of

Pokemon

Coin

Pokemon

Pokemon

Coin

Coin

 

In the first 3 moves. If that happens you have a lot of give on how to get the last coin in place before you need to pull the trigger on matching them.

[The Warden]

Eh, in my experience the Meowth level is prone to insta-kill combos even from the first turn. I find it safest to go for 330 instead of 530, by trying to get either:

Pokemon

Coin

Pokemon

Coin

 

OR

 

Coin

Pokemon

Pokemon

Coin

 

After 1 or 2 turns. There's too much risk of wasted effort involved in trying to go for the 530 unless you are ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE that you can achieve it and win.

[evilfusion]

I always aim for 300 unless the board is favorable towards a 500. Simply because 330 is still excellent when opposed to a mere 30, or 0. The 530 might occasionally make up for a failed run, but it's not my goal.

[Flame Dragon]

Update for this week are a new Mega Challenge for Gardevoir and Daily Pokemon, with the first being Dunsparce.

[evilfusion]

I've almost completely caught up on S Ranks. I've caught everything so far except the last Expert Poke (need all the S Ranks). Only have Gothitelle and M-Medicham to S Rank left. Whee!

[Pchi]

GDI I still haven't caught freaking Medicham even after using both Disruption Delay and Mega Start. How did you guys do it?

For that matter, how did you guys manage to beat Gardevoir? I've been stuck on that stage for weeks!

[evilfusion]

Gardevoir wasn't that bad, but it was probably the worst of the batch. I just used +5, M-Start and Disruption Delay. And I had to do it again to actually capture it.

 

Got all the S Ranks now, whee! Now I need to grind coins before taking on Goodra.

[Flame Dragon]

GDI I still haven't caught freaking Medicham even after using both Disruption Delay and Mega Start. How did you guys do it?

For that matter, how did you guys manage to beat Gardevoir? I've been stuck on that stage for weeks!

I threw money at any problem because I'm good at coin grinding and had tons. I know for Gardevoir I just used all the power ups because I didn't want to bother.

 

I don't remember Medicham being annoying though. I'd need to check the stage again.

 

Gardevoir wasn't that bad, but it was probably the worst of the batch. I just used +5, M-Start and Disruption Delay. And I had to do it again to actually capture it.

 

Got all the S Ranks now, whee! Now I need to grind coins before taking on Goodra.

Nice. Gordon was actually doable without any help if memory serves so you should be fine.

[evilfusion]

I always try the stage first without powerups regardless. But if it's easy and I can get a decent catch rate, I'd still want coins to use a Great Ball. I was flat broke getting the last S Rank.

[Flame Dragon]

I do too. I'm for throwing money at problems, but not just wasting it. A lot of the last batch of stages were easy enough that all I needed was a +5 moves to get the S rank. I normally only go above if I don't think it will work out, and only use the -1 complexity when it looks like the others won't be enough.

 

As for catching, if I can beat the stage normally I won't use the great ball. I'm fine sitting there for a session or two to get something. Especially now that I've done everything and only have coin/level grinding to do. And even that gets old since I've gotten nearly all the best pokemon to level 7 or higher.

[Pchi]

I think what makes it harder for me to defeat both Medicham and Gardevoir is that I still wasn't able to catch a few powerful mon who are only available through Expert Stages, like Mewtwo and Xerneas, or Events, like Dialga.

[The Warden]

Yeah, being behind on event mons really generates an uneven playing field, like when I didn't have Groudon for the M-Manectric event.

[Flame Dragon]

Yea, missing event and expert stage pokemon is a REALLY major lose. I remember when Regirock came out the first time and being really salty I didn't have Mega Lucario since he would have made the stage so much easier.

[evilfusion]

That's something I don't really like with Shuffle's...insert phrase that's slipping my mind here.

 

It's not about the monetization. The problem is that new players or people who start later are at a RIDICULOUS disadvantage because of how many event-exclusive things there are. Yes, many of the events are repeated at a later time, but the fact remains that a LOT of content is locked behind time-exclusive barriers. At this point, we have like 7 Mega Stones and at least 30 Pokemon of varying value that can only be acquired by events, putting players at the mercy of a schedule they can't necessarily predict. And they can't do ANYTHING to remedy this. It's completely out of their control.

 

Furthermore, competitive stages, while kind of fun, still are limiting a large number of people who either missed it or didn't place high enough. They may have to wait months to get another shot at it, if they ever get another shot at it.

 

Shuffle is just a nightmare to completionists that didn't get on the wagon from the first month or two. I just happen to be one of the ones who got into Shuffle early enough that the only thing I needed repeated was the Lucarionite event. And I've made sure to place in every competitive stage since, so I actually have everything to this point (except Goodra, which isn't event-restricted). But someone starting the game today is screwed for an unknown amount of time because of all the events, and Poke Safaris, and Competitive stages. Most of the stuff is optional, but not being able to have it because of factors completely out of your control is a very frustrating thing to do with a game.

[The Warden]

The phrase you're probably looking for is "user unfriendliness". The most potent and useful mons are typically event ones, especially in the case of Mega Stones. I mean really, event Mega Stones are almost always better than the story mode ones. The only one I can think which isn't is M-Gengar being better than M-Banette.

[Flame Dragon]

You are totally right that the nature of the game is very unfair to late entry. I know I had a fair bit of catching up to do and it wasn't even like I came in that late. They might repeat events at a decentish rate, but you lose out on so much power. Its hard to imagine how much harder a lot of the stages would have ended up being had I not had nearly everything in the game.

 

Though, on the subject of repeats. Manectric safari is back so give it a play even if you have everything already. You still get money from it. We will also have Manectric Mega Event and Rayquaza returning in the near future. We also have a new event, Tornadus. Its once a day so give it everything you got.

[evilfusion]

Ugh. Once a day event...how irksome. Failed to beat Tornadus. Will use Attack Power item next time.

[The Warden]

I tested the waters the first time to. Gonna spill my wad in order to take him out, maybe on the last day, when he's easiest to catch.

[Flame Dragon]

They said it gets easier with each day, so I will likely wait on using items until Thursday on the off chance I get lucky.

 

Also, question, while the game only has up to 337 pokemon it says I've found 343 and have 335 which doesn't make any sense. Anyone else have these weird numbers as well?

[evilfusion]

They said it gets easier with each day, so I will likely wait on using items until Thursday on the off chance I get lucky.

 

Also, question, while the game only has up to 337 pokemon it says I've found 343 and have 335 which doesn't make any sense. Anyone else have these weird numbers as well?

 

Yes. My numbers are almost identical (I have 334, since didn't catch Goodra).

 

337 is simply the (Shuffle) Pokedex numbers.

 

Meowstic (male) and Meowstic (female) have the same Pokedex number, but count as different Pokemon. Similarly, Rotom is listed SIX times with the same number, but count as different Pokemon.

 

So despite there being 337 numbers, six of them are repeats = 343 total Pokemon.

 

7 of them are unobtainable, but listed nevertheless (Snivy, Servine, Serperior, Oshawott, Dewott, Samurott, and Latios).

 

So if you've caught everything, you will have seen 343 Pokemon, but caught 336. But there will be 337 numbers.

[Flame Dragon]

Yes. My numbers are almost identical (I have 334, since didn't catch Goodra).

 

337 is simply the (Shuffle) Pokedex numbers.

 

Meowstic (male) and Meowstic (female) have the same Pokedex number, but count as different Pokemon. Similarly, Rotom is listed SIX times with the same number, but count as different Pokemon.

 

So despite there being 337 numbers, six of them are repeats = 343 total Pokemon.

 

7 of them are unobtainable, but listed nevertheless (Snivy, Servine, Serperior, Oshawott, Dewott, Samurott, and Latios).

 

So if you've caught everything, you will have seen 343 Pokemon, but caught 336. But there will be 337 numbers.

Ok, that explains it. Was unsure what the extra was. Thank you.

 

Speaking of, I wonder when we'll get the other Gen 5 starters. I'm not a HUGE fan of how Tepig's line was released since events for such bad pokemon aren't interesting and it tok so long for the whole line to come out. It will likely be the same, but hopefully they'll mix it up a little so it isn't as dragged out as last time.

[evilfusion]

Emboar is actually decent, though, since it has Barrier Bash. That's how I S Ranked Vivillon. I used an all-fire team with M-Blaziken with Emboar. Made things a lot simpler to match Emboar early and wipe out a bunch of the barriers.