Community Day November 2020 Guide Electabuzz

• Drastically increased spawns for the Pokemon Electabuzz
  • Obtainable from catches and research
  • Elekid will be hatching from 2km Eggs
  • An increased Shiny rate (roughly 1 in 23) during Community Day hours
• There's also a Community Day for Magmar next Saturday!
• 3-hour Incense
• 1/4 hatch distance (for eggs that start incubating during the event)
• Take a Snapshot during Community Day for an Electabuzz Photobomb (up to 5 times)
• One-time purchasable Community Day bundle
  • 1,280 PokeCoins
  • 1 Elite Fast TM
  • 30 Ultra Balls
  • 3 Incense
  • 3 Super Incubators
• Timed Research and Field Research tasks that reward Sinnoh Stones and other items
• Special Research story: Electric for Electabuzz
  • $1 or equivalent local currency
  • does not include an in-game medal
• All Electabuzz evolved into Electivire during Community Day hours learn the exclusive move Flamethrower
  • TMs and learning a New Move will not give you this exclusive move
  • Must evolve an Electabuzz during CD in your region (or up to two hours after)
  • Have a stable internet connection and consider doing a test evolve, as Niantic acknowledges server issues can and do happen during CD, yet refuses to compensate/correct this known issue.

Community Day and Covid-19

Niantic has altered Community Day events to be more suited to the pandemic allowing them to be fully enjoyed while at home. For additional Coronavirus considerations, check out our article on that subject as well.

Those looking for additional Community Day tips can check out February's guide, our last before worldwide lockdowns. Wear a mask and practice social distancing if you do decide to go out and play.

Where applicable, this section will be updated to include new information as our friendly NZ “beta testers” experience CD before anyone else in the world. On Community Days with new, unpredictable features, the only way to know for sure how they’ll function is having others experience it first. Check back here before CD to see if there’s any last-minute tips you need to know!

Playing in NZ? Thanks! We monitor reports on The Silph Road carefully, though you can also submit reports here on GamePress or directly to NoLucksGiven on twitter. Additionally, it is even more recommended you have a stable internet connection and consider doing a test evolve, as Niantic acknowledges server issues can and do happen (especially in your region) during CD, yet refuses to compensate/correct this known issue.

One thing we'll be sure to update this space with is information regarding Elekid shiny rates and hatch rates!

You can currently obtain Electabuzz from female Rocket Grunts that say “Get ready to be shocked!” You won't be able to TM away Frustration before this event, but you can Purify Electabuzz if you really want the exclusive move on it this event. You do not need to TM away Return as the CD move will take preference. This can still be a way to encounter slightly higher IV Electabuzz before the event as well as Electabuzz candy.

You can also obtain candy by visiting an Electabuzz nest prior to the event, and by trade-swapping Electabuzz with a friend.

There are no current Electric-type Mega Pokemon that can be used to earn extra Electabuzz candy.

2+ Incense

Each Incense lasts 3 hours, meaning 2 will allow you to play the entire event while Incensed, a necessity for those hoping to play while at home.

Turn on vibrate or connect your Pokemon Go+. Incense Pokemon are actually invisible for a few seconds after spawning. Navigating through other menus can help reload the map and make these Pokemon appear quicker.

Stacking Incense will allow you to run additional Incense for 3 hours, past the end of the event. This can be good for finding extra Enigma Week spawns. Even if you only click 1/3 of those incensed spawns, that's as efficient as an normal Incense. Anything after that is bonus!

Maybe Some Lure Modules

While Lure Modules no longer last longer during Community Days, they will still spawn additional Electabuzz. With a Pokemon like Electabuzz that is otherwise somewhat rare, a few Lure Modules could help boost spawns!

Maybe Some Star Pieces

While this event offers no Stardust bonuses, it might still be a great time to use a Star Piece if you don't play as much outside of Community Days. You can also sync up your Star Pieces with your hatching eggs, if you're planning on doing a lot of incubating this event.

Lucky Egg

Because your friends might also be playing during CD, now may be the perfect time to coordinate friendship level ups. 6-hour Community Days are long enough that you don't miss much by cracking an egg, though this also means coordinating level ups might be more difficult to agree on a time for.

Plenty of Pokeballs

Make it a priority to open as many gifts as possible each day to restock on Pokeballs before the event. After the event, keep opening to prepare for the next one!

Increase your storage capacity so you can keep opening. This will allow you to stockpile more balls when you’re not playing as much to prepare for events like this.

"Should You Be Incubating?" is a section that often appears during Community Days featuring 1/4 egg distance, and usually, the conclusion is that you shouldn't be tempted by this bonus. You can read the traditional critique in July's CD Guide. However, this Community Day Guide falls under a corner case that many collectors will wish to take advantage of.

Firstly, this advice works off the assumption that 100% of eggs obtained during CD will contain Elekid/Magby. If you want a shiny Elekid/Magby, there has never been an event to hatch shiny baby Pokemon at Community Day rates. While we currently don't know the shiny rates for this event, this could make this Community Day the best use of Incubators ever in Pokemon Go for some collectors.

Elekid and Magby will only be available through hatching during this event, and at 1/4 distance, you'll hatch eggs every .5 km. Because of this, heavy hatchers will want to make sure to play in a spot with a lot of stops.

Here are a few other things to keep in mind right before Community Day starts for making the most of the granted bonuses.

• If coordinating Lucky Egg friendships, encourage your friends to egg and advance friendships before the event starts. This allows you to focus on catching once the featured Pokemon starts spawning!
• If you hatch an egg before CD, consider not incubating, as the 1/4 egg distance only applies to eggs that are started during the event.
• In similar vein, you may not want to catch Shadow Pokemon from Rocket Battles. Those used to battling a Grunt right at midnight may easily forget this one. It's possible to still complete your battle but run instead of catching the Pokemon.
• Existing spawns can change to the featured Pokemon. Clicking on Pokemon to catch or even just to shiny check will prevent them from turning into the featured Pokemon. It’s fine though to check for shinies you don’t yet have. If you want to catch the most of the featured Pokemon, avoid clicking on spawns as Community Day is about to begin.
• You can only complete research from each stop once daily.  If you complete a task at a given stop, you cannot receive the “Catch 3” task from that stop during Community Day. Occasionally, receiving the task from a stop will lock it into its non-CD task.
  • Tasks revert to their pre-CD tasks when CD is over but you cannot receive research from Stops where you completed “Catch 3” or the original research.
  • Because of this, you may decide to skip over stops during CD that you know give desirable research (from Discord, Facebook, etc.) or complete them before CD starts.
  • Many players may do the opposite, choosing not to complete Research in areas they know they will be during CD for easy rewards.
  • Check to see if you have completed the Research Task of a given Pokestop by the indicator in the top right corner of a Pokestop

Now, with those in mind, there is still room for choice. If you’ll be playing all Community Day then you might not care about one spawn point here and there, and catching weather boosted Machop or shiny checking a Wailmer may be worth it to you. Likewise, you may not find it necessary to fill your inventory with Community Day eggs.

Use this time before the event starts to prep; spin stops, transfer Pokemon, open gifts (and level up friendships), Raid, check-in.

Rewards for last months special research "A Tale of Tails" were

• Charmander encounter
• Charmeleon
• Charizard
• 60 Charmander candy
• 300 Mega Charizard energy (This month will contain Sinnoh Stones rather than Mega Energy)
• 15,000 Stardust
• 1 Poffin
• 3 Incense
• 3 Rare Candy
• 5 Golden Razzberry
• 5 Silver Pinaps
• 10 Pokeballs
• 6,000 XP

This has mostly been an over-costed bad buy in the past, but it's only a buck, so many players will purchase it anyway. Also note that the research will not award an in-game badge. It does not need to be completed before the end of Community Day, though it is beneficial to do so for increased shiny odds and so the evolved catch knows the exclusive move.

During Community Day, Field Research Tasks are changed to “Catch 3 Electabuzz” with the following rewards;

• 500 Stardust
• 2 Ultra Balls
• 5 Great Balls
• 2 Pinap Berries
• 1 Golden Razzberry
• Electabuzz encounter (CP range 949-1000)
• Sinnoh Stone

This Community Day, there will also be a special timed research. This can be found in the Today tab of the Research menu. This will disappear when the event ends in your area. All three tabs will have Community Day Research (if you purchase the Special Research), so don't forget to check all three!

This featured Community Day Bundle will be a one-time purchase, costing 1280 PokeCoins and containing 1 Elite Fast TM, 30 Ultra Balls, 3 Incense, and 3 Super Incubators

Community Day Bundle boxes are limit 1 per account per month and alternate between Fast and Charge TMs. Elite TMs are priceless items and can save a ton of dust powering up a new Pokemon when an exclusive move is released. Move exclusive moves are Charge moves, so boxes featuring Elite Charge TMs are a better buy. If you'd rather pick up an Elite Charge TM, save your coins for the bundle featured for Magmar CD, which swaps a Fast TM for Charge, and the 3 Incense for 3 Lucky Eggs.

Taking a snapshot of one of your Pokemon will trigger a special Photobomb during this event. This occurs during the first picture in any photo shoot. The featured Pokemon will photobomb up to 5 times during the event! This is only 5 extra spawns in the grand scheme of things, but can be helpful for those that are low. Spawns follow similar rules to Incensed spawns (one on the map at a time and quick catching is funky). It's also an easy way to progress the Photobomb bagde.

Shiny Pokemon do not appear shiny in the Photobomb and on the world map. This is a change to previous Shiny Photobomb encounters. Make sure you click it after taking a pic!

Community Day Raids and Eggs and Rocket Grunts

Recent CDs have not included the featured Pokemon in additional forms of content like Raids and Rocket Battles but past CDs have. Once the event has started in NZ, we’ll update this space. We WILL be seeing Elekid/Magby in Eggs this event though. Check back later for more information regarding additional ways to acquire Pokemon this CD.

At this point, it's just a meme. We have not had a Rocket TM event in 4 months, and this is yet another (2) Community Day with a Shadow Pokemon. Shadow Pokemon can only learn exclusive moves if evolved after TMed during an event, or buy use of an Elite TM. If your Shadow Pokemon are currently stuck with Frustration, you'll want to TM them during a Rocket Takeover at some point later on and evolve them during the next following Community Day recap. Luckily(?), the exclusive moves for November's events probably aren't worth stressing too much, but this is still an extremely frustrating, half-baked mechanic.

Why you can throw away Flamethrower

Flamethrower exists purely as a coverage move for Electivire in PvP, and that's not really what Electivire needs. Electric-types struggle against Grass, Dragon, and Ground-type Pokemon especially, as shown in the simplified type chart below. Flamethrower is a nice addition, allowing Electivire to hit Grass, Bug, and Steel for SE damage and Ground for neutral.

The catch is that Electivire also has access to Ice Punch, which is a huge improvement across the board, covering all of Electivire's weaknesses. Flamethrower could see niche use against specific type-combinations like Galarian Stunfisk, but for the most part, your Electivire will prefer the side type coverage provided by Electric+Ice.
 

Little Cup

We can talk a little about this format, though it will only be around for a little while longer. It should be noted that Elekid hatches above the CP cap, so it'll be a little tricky to obtain. If you can, Elekid loses to almost all of the format's popular Pokemon, managing to beat Seel, A-Sandshrew, and Drifloon.

Great League

Electabuzz and Electivire don't see much play in the Great League, where they are held back by their high Attack and low comparative bulk. Electric-types can do well to scare prominent threats like Azumarill and Skarmory both, though there are other Electric types better suited. Electabuzz has no coverage move, generally making it an inferior pick to Electivire.

Ultra League

While otherwise overshadowed by Legendary options, Electivire is fantastic in the Ultra League Premier Cup as a Shadow and non-Shadow Pokemon. PvPoke notes that Electivire is the best closer in the ULPC due to it's high attack and wide coverage on the back of Ice Punch.

PvP Ready CPs

Finding Pokemon that can be evolved to be near the CP-cap in PvP leagues can save a lot of Stardust. Before evolving, consult a CP/IV calculator to confirm your Charmander will stay below the CP thresholds. Looking for Charmander with CP around or below these thresholds can be great for trainers interested in PvP with limited resources;

For Great League Electivire, look for Electabuzz with CP 1115-1136 and below.

For Ultra League Electivire, look for Electabuzz with CP 18-59-1895 and below.

Electivire BRINGS the Electric-type damage. With raids now focusing even more on DPS, now may be a great time to consider powering up an Electivire!

Shadow Electivire is also comparable to Jynx when using Ice Punch.

With Flamethrower, Shadow Electivire passable, closest in performance to Toxicroak. While not exciting, this is an impressive result for a coverage move. Shadow Pokemon are just that powerful.

Nobody had Electivire and Magmortar on their Community Day Bingo Cards, so this pair was certainly unexpected. Note: My community really did run a CD guessing game for the 2020 calendar year. It was a lot of fun and we'll probably do it again. Let us know what CD Pokemon you think we'll see in 2021 in the comments below.

November marks a few firsts for the Community Day Event; 2 events in a 7 day period, and each event also featuring a baby Pokemon that is hatchable only. With 4 Pokemon to collect, it will be more important than ever to pace yourself throughout the pair of events. Two events so close together also means needing to stay stocked up, though this CD also encouraging spinning for eggs might cause you to player closer to stops anyways!