Legends Arceus dropped and it looks to be one of the most anticipated Pokemon games in the entire franchise. One of the most pressing questions asked by many players is how EVs and IVs are going to work. Even in a game that’s not entirely made for competitive play (thanks Game Freak), players are always thinking about how to get the best Pokemon. Sources have confirmed that Legends Arceus replaced the typical IV/EV system. A new variable called Effort Levels maximizes pokemon strength instead. So here is a Pokemon Legends Arceus Effort Levels Guide.
[Related: Are there Shiny Legendary Pokemon in Legends Arceus?]
Before explaining how the current system works, it is important to go over the current EV/IV system. EVs, or Effort Values, affect how a Pokemon’s stats grow in terms of levels. For example, if defeating a wild Ponyta, this will grant a Pokemon more speed EVs and make it faster than another Pokemon who spent time getting EVs in another category, regardless of having the same speed stat.
IVs, or Individual Values, are the quality of the stats for each Pokemon. For example, a Pokemon with 31 defense IVs will always be bulkier than a Pokemon with 0 defense IVs. While a Pokemon’s stats can be good inherently, IVs and Evs can be a deciding factor in which Pokemon are more fit for competitive play than others. Players manipulate these through breeding and players have to often breed the same mon multiple times in order to get a Pokemon that suits their needs depending on the need for their team.
Legends Arceus replaced EVs and IVs with a new system called Effort Levels. Players will be able to obtain grit items and use those to max out their stats in a more relaxed way. Players can finally focus on bonding with specific Pokemon instead of turning their Dittos into a breeding factory. These grit items are still coming to light in the game, so, this article will update as more information comes out.
As of now, the ones known are Grit Dust, Gravel, Pebbles, and Rocks. The higher players want to raise the Effort Level, the higher the level of Grit Item needed. Grit Dust raises the effort level from zero to three, Grit Gravel raises the effort level from three to six, Grit Pebbles raise the effort level from six to nine, and Grit Rock raises the effort level from nine to ten.
There’s no real “nuanced” method of targeting individual stats. Instead the pokemon’s entire base simply goes up a designated amount. This makes for a much more simplified process for maximizing a Pokemon’s stats.
Effort Level implementation is a bit of a mixed bag of nuts. Many players adored finding the perfect natures, spending countless hours breeding and training for the perfect IV/EV stats. Pokemon Legends Arceus Effort Levels effectively simplifies this process, leaving more opportunity for trainers to explore the region rather than worrying about pokemon stats. Hopefully this breakdown provided the necessary information players were looking for.
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