We promised you a guide that talks about the ways in which you can get more Pokécoins in Pokémon GO, which is the in-game currency, and we shall deliver on that promise, and then so me. But before that, what is Pokémon GO? In case you’ve been hiding out in a cave since last week, this is Niantic’s new Android and iOS game that may only be out in a few countries (officially), but has nonetheless created a mobile gaming craze all around the world. Its appeal lies in the fact that it’s so different from your average mobile game – it’s an augmented reality game where you interact with both your phone and the real world, as you hunt for Pokémon with your GPS as your guide and virtual in-game items, mainly Pokéballs, as your tools.
In order to get more items, you’re going to need Pokécoins, which is the in-game currency. You will also need them if you want to expedite your progress. But believe us – it won’t always be easy to get all those Pokécoins. So with that said, here’s our new Pokémon GO strategy guide, as we hope to talk you through the different ways you can earn more Pokécoins in the game, as well as other items like Pokéballs, Incense, and more.
1. Don’t Panic When You Run Out Of Pokécoins
The game will start out by giving you 100 Pokécoins, but that’s going to be used up quick enough on Pokéballs, and you won’t be told where you can get more of those coins, aside from going to the in-app store. You won’t even be told that you can earn coins while playing the game. But that’s the first thing to remember when trying to get Pokécoins for free – you can easily get them by playing the game, though it may take a while for that coin total to really add up.
2. Visit Pokéstops For More Coins
Pokéstops can be located by your nearby park or statue, for instance, and you can visit them at any time to see if you can find some coins. As a disclaimer, you may have a hard time finding coins at those stops; you may be so busy hunting down Pokémon that the small amount of coins you may earn at the stops might become inconsequential. But if you’re desperately in need of more Pokécoins, you can get them at the stops, sure enough, with the rest of your free rewards.
You can also regularly visit Pokéstops in your area to regenerate your item stockpile; that may not exactly be a way for you to earn more coins, but the plus side here is that it sort-of removes the need to over-rely on coins.
3. Have A Pokémon Defend Your Gym
A great way to earn free coins, and a very sure one at that, would be to have a Pokémon standing guard at one of your gyms, defending it and manning its post. Pokémon Go will allow you to defend ten gyms at a time, and if you’re able to do that, you will earn 10 coins per 20 hours – that’s a total of 100 coins if you pull off this action. This is best done if the Pokémon doing guard duty is one of your stronger units, as it will ensure that the weaker Pokémon are the ones that get eliminated, should other gyms beat you.
Go to the Pokéshop and collect your Pokécoins, and repeat the process; simple as that, really. But what if you’re not the one who had taken over the gym? Can you still do this?
The answer to that question would be a resounding “yes.” Even if you’re not the one who had claimed the gym from the opposing team, or the one who had taken it over, you’ll still be qualified as gym trainer if your CP score is high enough. Just do your best to spot all the gyms in your nearby area, and defend them in as much as possible.
4. Take Part In The Special Events
Niantic and Nintendo are hard at work coming up with new promotions for the legions of Pokémon GO gamers, and you’ll want to keep yourself updated for news on these special events. These would include coin giveaways, so feel free to logon when you see an attractive opportunity, and shoot for the top prizes in order to earn more coins, and possibly other goodies as well.
5. Use Your Free Pokécoins To Buy Other Items
Now that we’re done covering the Pokécoins, let’s move on to the other essential items you’ll need when playing Pokémon Go. The simplest way to get these items with little effort and without having to pay real money is to use the Pokécoins you earned for free to buy them. Some may be very common and very affordable, while others may carry a premium price tag due to their rarity. Basically, you can use your coins to buy any item in the game, except Great Balls and Master Balls, which won’t be available to buy with coins eaerly on in the game.
6. Back To The Pokéstop For The Items
We already talked about Pokéstops a few tips ago, and we’re going to be revisiting them, as that’s where you want to be if you want to get the aforementioned Great Balls and Master Balls, as well as Pokéballs, Incense, Lure Modules, Lucky Eggs, and Egg Incubators. You can walk to your nearest Pokéstop and be right next to it, or if it’s too far away to walk or ride your bike there, you can drive there – just make sure you’ve got your eyes on the road and not on your phone while taking your car to the Pokéstop!
You can go to the Pokéstop to spin for new items once a day per stop; just spin the coin if you aren’t getting a “too far away” warning, and you’ll randomly receive items. Repeat the process as long as there are more Pokéstops in your area and you’ve got enough energy to go from one stop to another. That should be a good way to help you stock up on items, may it be the different types of balls (see below), incense, Lure Modules, or Lucky Eggs.
7. Differentiating The Balls Used In Catching Pokémon
If you’ve been reading our guides, you probably know about Pokéballs, but how do Great Balls and Master Balls differ? The former can be considered a “common” type of ball for catching Pokémon, while the latter two are more effective. It’s the Master Balls that are really the most effective in catching Pokémon, even those ones that come with red outlines underneath them, signifying that they’re especially hard to catch. Great Balls, on the other hand, are in between Pokéballs (least effective) and Master Balls (most effective), and should also be prioritized as compared to the Pokéballs.
8. What’s The Deal With The Other Items?
Moving on to the other useful items you can get at the Pokéstops, incense is used as a lure to bring Pokémon to where you’re currently located. Lure Modules are more effective and last longer, as they attract a Pokémon to a given Pokéstop for 30 minutes. Lucky Eggs work by doubling your experience points, also for a 30-minute timeframe. And Egg Incubators allow you to hatch a maximum of three eggs before breaking. Aside from earning them at the Pokéstops, you can also renew these items if need be.
And this wraps up our latest Pokémon GO guide, explaining how to get more Pokéballs, Pokécoins and other items in the game. If you want to read all of our Pokémon GO tips and tricks, be sure to head over to this link.