Image via Niantic

Is Shadow Force a good move in Pokémon Go?

Giratina's signature move is here. Should you get it?

Origin Forme Giratina is one of the better legendary Pokémon in Pokémon Go. Some players would say it’s one of the best, especially regarding PvP. For a limited time, Giratina will gain access to its signature move, Shadow Force, if you defeat it in specific five-star raids. Is Shadow Force a good move in Pokémon Go?

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All Shadow Force stats in Pokemon Go

Before we determine if Shadow Force is a good charged attack, let’s look at this attack’s overall stats from the PvP and PvE angle.

  • PvP
    • Shadow Force will do 120 damage to an opponent and requires 90 energy for Giratina to use it
  • PvE
    • Shadow Force will do 140 damage to an opponent, and requires 100 energy for Giratina to use it

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Shadow Force is a formidable attack. It’s not a straight 140 or 150 damage in PvP like some other attacks, like Draco Meteor, Focus Blast, Giga Impact, Zap Cannon, or Blizzard. However, it is an attack that you may want to consider swapping out for some of Giratina’s premium choices, such as Shadow Sneak. It’s suitably powerful that you may want to use in Giratina’s moveset if you know you’ve eliminated the opponent’s shields and they have nothing else left to defend themselves. When your opponent still does have a shield, the alternative choice, Dragon Claw, will remain an all-time favorite.

The downside to using this attack against Shadow Sneak is that Shadow Force requires a lot of energy. Giratina does have a decent fast move, Shadow Claw, that can drum up a good amount of energy. That being said, 90 energy is not a small change. It will take a lot of time to unleash it against an opponent, and you’re likely to telegraph your next attack to your opponent from Giratina.

Is Shadow Force good?

Overall, even though Shadow Force does not perform a debuff and requires a good amount of energy, we can recommend Shadow Force. It might be the powerful attack you need to immediately down an opponent and take the victory. If you don’t have a Giratina that already has access to Shadow Sneak, Shadow Force is an excellent option, but if you’re happy with your Giratina with where it’s at, we don’t see a reason to change up the formula.


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Author
Zack Palm
Zack Palm is the Senior Writer of Gamepur and has spent over five years covering video games, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Oregon State University. He spends his free time biking, running tabletop campaigns, and listening to heavy metal. His primary game beats are Pokémon Go, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and any newly released title, and he finds it difficult to pull away from any Star Wars game.