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XP Grinding Guide

fleuriine

Nohrian Scum
After playing the game near-nonstop the past few days and tapping into my hefty RPG grinding experience, I’ve compiled some preliminary tricks for XP grinding in Pokemon Go! This thread may be updated as I get more information (especially in regards to the gyms). Feel free to comment with your own methods or suggestions as well!

Please note that all numbers displayed are numbers that I have confirmed for myself in-game, unless otherwise specified.

I. XP

Lucky Egg Modifier: *2 XP

Register a new pokemon in the dex: +500 XP
Evolve a pokemon: +500 XP
Hatch an egg: +[hatching distance requirement*100] XP
Win a gym battle: +150 XP and +100 XP per additional (non gym leader) pokemon defeated

Visit a pokestop: +50 XP
Catch a pokemon: +100 XP
Train at a gym: +10 XP (**I'm not sure if this number scales with the level of the gym, number of pokemon stationed at the gym, number of pokemon defeated, etc)

Pokeball throws:
Nice: +10 XP
Great: +50 XP
Excellent: +100 XP
Curveball: +10 XP


II. Grinding Methods

Note: For best and fastest results, please have a lucky egg active

1. Stationary

Requirements: Incense

My personal favourite method. It’s fantastic for when you can’t walk around or have other things to do (nighttime, at work, in class, etc). Pair with the in-app power saver mode (screen blackens if you flip your device upside-down vertically) for best results.

The stationary method is very easy: simply use an incense (and a lucky egg, if you want) and wait for the pokemon to come to you. Make sure your in-app vibrations are on so that you're notified when a pokemon comes into the overworld. This method is more effective if you're in a more urban place (shopping centre, ect), but works just fine in rural areas too.

Your primary source of XP in this method is through capturing pokemon. Incense is nice because, even if a pokemon isn't listed in the "nearby" box, it can still be attracted by incense, meaning you get that dex entry XP bonus. The Stationary method also works very nicely with the Scientist method (detailed below).

I should note that this method becomes increasingly harder as you climb in levels, as higher CP pokemon are much harder to catch and will run away more often.

2. The Explorer

Recommended: Incense

The most common method because it doesn’t require you to spend any money. Plus, it’s the most fun!

This method is essentially the "standard" method of Pokemon Go. You get out of the house and onto your own two legs and chase pokemon! If you're in a relatively urban area, especially when paired with an incense, you'll find a lot more pokemon a lot faster than the Stationary method, making it on average more effective than the Stationary method.

Like the Stationary method, your primary source of XP is through capturing pokemon. Since you're traveling, especially if you're traveling by bike or car, you're likely to run into new pokemon, thus granting you the dex entry XP bonus as well. Incense only serves to promote this further. Because this method is based around travel, it pairs nicely with the Breeder method (detailed below), unless you're traveling by car.

3. The Scientist (Evolution)

Requirements: A large amount of pidgey OR weedle OR caterpie near your house (or wherever you typically hunt for pokemon)
Recommended: Incense

The easiest of the three “team” methods. However, it is very conditional and requires the most monetary input out of the three (only beaten by the Stationary method).

This method looks to abuse the XP bonus granted from evolving a pokemon. Because pidgey/weedle/caterpie require 12 candies to evolve, after catching only four of them, you can evolve the fourth and get that 500 XP evolution reward. For even faster results, transfer numbers one through three to get extra candies, and then transfer the evolved mon for another extra candy.

If you have access to an area with multiple pokestops, try using lure modules on them for even faster results! This method works equally well with either the Stationary or Explorer method, but does require that you use at least one of them since you need to catch pokemon in order to evolve them.

4. The Breeder (Eggs)

Requirements: Access to a bike and multiple pokestops very close by your chosen biking route(s)

Perhaps the most straightforward, but also the most luck-based method. However, if you manage to get rarer pokemon, it can yield staggering results. It also helps with trying to strengthen or evolve some of the harder to find pokemon. Additionally, frequently visiting pokestops will net you some nice rewards.

View the Breeder method as akin to breeding and hatching in the main games, because that's essentially what it is. You bike along a route in order to hatch some eggs, passing by the daycare (pokestops) and checking if they have any eggs. (Make sure you actually spin the pokestop and collect your rewards, though!)

While this method requires the most physical input, if you're willing to actually put in the effort it can yield incredible results. This is also incredibly helpful if you're at higher levels, since it doesn't require you to catch any wild pokemon (but you're more than welcome to, if you want to).

I highly recommend having at least five incubators (including the one you're given at the start) available to put eggs in if you're planning on doing this. Hatching one egg at a time is incredibly inefficient, and incubators are a worthwhile investment anyhow.

For incubation, I think priority should go in order of distance tier (distance required to hatch), from least to greatest. However, make sure at least one of your 10 km eggs is incubating, but no more than two (unless you have no other eggs that need to hatch). To conserve resources (and money), try and save your incubators with one use left for the 10 km eggs.

Important note: Unless you're driving slowly, riding in your car will not count towards an egg's distance total. If you see your character running, you're going too fast and any distance covered will not be counted. Bike for best results.

5. The Ace Trainer (Gym)

Requirements: An easily reached gym AND at least two accounts (both yours or yours + a willing participant) of different team alignment; both trainers must also be at AT LEAST level 5

This one is probably the trickiest one, but if done well and in the right environment, it has the best XP/second. This method is especially good if you have a local friend who also plays, since both participants will benefit equally and you can get defender bonuses from the shop.

If you haven't already, take over the nearby gym you plan to grind at. Be sure to place a very weak pokemon as your defender. Allow your gym to be taken over by the other account, making sure they place a weak pokemon as their defender. Take over their gym. Rinse and repeat for as long as you'd like.

With a weak pokemon as the defender, the gym is quickly overthrown with little loss to HP, thus mitigating the need for potions. Therefore, you can grind very quickly in the same spot, netting about 150 XP per two minutes. Because the XP reward per gym defeat is so small, I recommend pairing this with a lucky egg the most out of all of the methods.

Important note: As of right now, the gym system is very glitchy. Until the gym bugs are resolved, I do not recommend doing this method, you will get very little results. I will edit if the gym glitches are fixed.

III. Team Recommendations

You may have noticed that a couple of the XP grinding methods revolve around the mantras of the three teams (hatching eggs, evolving pokemon, and power, respectively). While this wasn't intentional, I do think it might be helpful for those who aren't level 5 yet or just reached level 5 and are still on the fence about which team to choose.

There are no team benefits currently, but it seems to be implied that something will be implemented later on.

With that said, if the Scientist method appeals most to you, you should join Team Mystic.

If the Breeder method appeals most to you, you should join Team Instinct.

If the Ace Trainer method appeals most to you, you should join Team Valor.

Obviously you're not required to join any team based on the criteria above. These are simply recommendations for those who might be on the fence or want to plan ahead for the long run. It's very possible that teams are simply ornamental and that there will never be any team bonuses in the future. (or you could just join team Instinct and be with the cool kids)

IV. Additional Comments

1 Lucky Egg + 1 Incense = 160 pokecoins -> $2
8 Lucky Eggs + 8 Incense = 1000 pokecoins -> $10
25 Lucky Eggs + 25 Incense = 2500 pokecoins -> $20

The 25/25 route is by far the best option, especially if you’re doing Stationary/Scientist grinding. Due to how useful both lucky eggs and incense are, I think the 1/1 route is a waste of money and you’re better off spending the $10 for 8/8, even if you don’t plan on grinding for very long.

Both the lucky egg and incense have a duration for 30 minutes, so I highly recommend using them both at once (items -> incense, then lucky egg!). You never know what pokemon might pop up and it’s always good to have that XP multiplier when you’re playing.

Also, if you're a completely new player, I highly recommend using the incense for your first couple of levels. Since almost all pokemon you catch will be new dex entries, you'll be getting approximately 1200 XP per catch with the lucky egg active, bringing you to level 4 after 3-4 new pokemon.

Please let me know if you have any questions, additional comments or methods, corrections, new information, etc! Or, let me know if I've been able to help you out in any way! Happy Leveling!
 
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Scientist Method has been whats been working best for me- evolution sprees while using lucky eggs have got me a ton of XP. My area is infested with rattata, so I've been getting an unbelievable amount of candy!
 

fleuriine

Nohrian Scum
Scientist Method has been whats been working best for me- evolution sprees while using lucky eggs have got me a ton of XP. My area is infested with rattata, so I've been getting an unbelievable amount of candy!

Yeah, it's absolutely fantastic for lower levels! It becomes a bit more difficult when the pokemon you encounter become stronger, but I think it's all-around a super solid and reliable method and something I'm always sure to use whenever I can. I'm so happy to hear you've been having success!!!
 

Theo-92

Well-Known Member
Received 1000 exp for evolving a Pokèmon. So does that mean I would receive 2000 with a luck egg?
 

Kranar

New Member
Yes, though the 1000 would have been because it was the first time for that evolved form so you got a new pokedex entry. Evolving the same one again will just be 500 or 1000 with the egg.
 
Scientist is most viable because lets be real pidgeys, weedles and caterpies are abundant, and finding new pokemon and running around trying to find a new gym to fight isnt efficient. Hopefully you can combine the different methods but till then stick with a crowd of people around multiple pokestops with lure modules is the most efficient method of getting common pokemon. The area I was at had two pokespots and a gym and i would just rotate to that after i ran out of pokemon to evolve!
 

fleuriine

Nohrian Scum
Scientist is most viable because lets be real pidgeys, weedles and caterpies are abundant, and finding new pokemon and running around trying to find a new gym to fight isnt efficient. Hopefully you can combine the different methods but till then stick with a crowd of people around multiple pokestops with lure modules is the most efficient method of getting common pokemon. The area I was at had two pokespots and a gym and i would just rotate to that after i ran out of pokemon to evolve!

Yeah, you can definitely combine methods!! I think Ace Trainer is the only one that can't really stack with others, since it requires you to battle super often in order to get any return from it. Although, you can still get some nice bonus XP for claiming nearby gyms regardless ;)

The Scientist method is fantastic for lower levels, but once you start hitting around 15+, pokemon become a lot harder to catch since they're more powerful and flee more often. Not that it's not still viable, but I do recommend a shift in focus to the Breeder method, since hatching eggs gives you a lot of candy (to evolve pokemon and get that XP bonus) and helps fill in dex gaps (thus, a dex XP bonus), not to mention you get XP per each egg you hatch. Again, not that it's not possible to focus on two+ at once! You have to be moving around in order to hatch eggs, after all ;)

I think you bring up an interesting point with the pokestops and lure modules! I don't have a ton of pokestops clustered around an area near me, so I hadn't thought of that, but I'll add that to my guide!
 
we need to find someone with a bike that can gauge speed so we can figure out the fastest you can actually go while still getting mileage on your eggs hahaha that when we can really start being efficient
 

fleuriine

Nohrian Scum
we need to find someone with a bike that can gauge speed so we can figure out the fastest you can actually go while still getting mileage on your eggs hahaha that when we can really start being efficient

Ahahaha that would be fantastic. I think a "car" is what you're looking for, though ;P If I had to make a rough guesstimate, I'd say it's somewhere around 20-30 mph, but I'd love to see someone get some concrete data
 
hahaha car is to fast man xD for eggs anyway, you can still get stops and pokemon if your quick enough

just read on reddit:

"Sadly it doesn't register if we go past 10Mph Tested it past two days Did a 30 mile ride at 20-21Mph Only registered about 3 miles probably when starting off and slowing down
Went for a late night ride with friends for about 7 miles at 8 - 15 MPH It registered about 4.5 miles only; so we need to go at running speed of 10MPH or lower>.>

[–]Rikilsta
"like omg... i was going 23 mph for 40 mins.. only for .6 km -_- LOL"

some people were saying it might be more like ingress with the speed being more like 23 MPH but im more inclined to think it will be closer to the 10-15MPH range if not less xD
 

fleuriine

Nohrian Scum
hahaha car is to fast man xD for eggs anyway, you can still get stops and pokemon if your quick enough

just read on reddit:

"Sadly it doesn't register if we go past 10Mph Tested it past two days Did a 30 mile ride at 20-21Mph Only registered about 3 miles probably when starting off and slowing down
Went for a late night ride with friends for about 7 miles at 8 - 15 MPH It registered about 4.5 miles only; so we need to go at running speed of 10MPH or lower>.>

[–]Rikilsta
"like omg... i was going 23 mph for 40 mins.. only for .6 km -_- LOL"

some people were saying it might be more like ingress with the speed being more like 23 MPH but im more inclined to think it will be closer to the 10-15MPH range if not less xD

It's not too fast if you're going slow enough for the GPS to not notice haha. But yeah, I think 10-15 sounds more likely! I'm fairly certain that "too fast" is indicated by your trainer running instead of walking, but I could be wrong.
 
It's not too fast if you're going slow enough for the GPS to not notice haha. But yeah, I think 10-15 sounds more likely! I'm fairly certain that "too fast" is indicated by your trainer running instead of walking, but I could be wrong.

yeah i heard that too! i was kind of trying it yesterday but you really shouldnt try speeding on a bike while looking at your phone hahaha
 

fleuriine

Nohrian Scum
yeah i heard that too! i was kind of trying it yesterday but you really shouldnt try speeding on a bike while looking at your phone hahaha

Oh gosh no! I'd recommend trying with a car, but that sounds just as if not more dangerous :') At the very least, we know bikes are a-okay when it comes to egg hatching (which they should be).
 

Silvershark

HAWLUCHA!!!
But yeah, I think 10-15 sounds more likely! I'm fairly certain that "too fast" is indicated by your trainer running instead of walking, but I could be wrong.

I can confirm the running animation has nothing to do with the game's 'speed limit'. I've been playing off my Ipod Touch. Since it has no GPS ciruitry, it relies on the wifi source's designated address to determine it's location, so according to my game I'm standing next to the road about 100 feet from my house. Trying a little experiment with my sister, she turned her phone into a hotspot allowing me to essentially piggyback on her gps location. Here's is the interesting thing, when we got to the edge of the my house's wifi signal, I could alternate my wifi source in one or two steps in either direction as my Ipod searched for the stronger signal; forcing my in-game character to SPRINT from one location to the other.

Walking around together for 30 minutes netted her 0.3 km, I got 0.68 km.
 

fleuriine

Nohrian Scum
I can confirm the running animation has nothing to do with the game's 'speed limit'. I've been playing off my Ipod Touch. Since it has no GPS ciruitry, it relies on the wifi source's designated address to determine it's location, so according to my game I'm standing next to the road about 100 feet from my house. Trying a little experiment with my sister, she turned her phone into a hotspot allowing me to essentially piggyback on her gps location. Here's is the interesting thing, when we got to the edge of the my house's wifi signal, I could alternate my wifi source in one or two steps in either direction as my Ipod searched for the stronger signal; forcing my in-game character to SPRINT from one location to the other.

Walking around together for 30 minutes netted her 0.3 km, I got 0.68 km.

That's interesting! Truthfully, I've actually had similar experiences when GPS drift has occurred, causing my character to walk around and sometimes run a short distance as the game re-adjusts itself with the satellite signal. I know for a fact that these instances count towards distance totals because I've been able to hatch some eggs that were close to hatching that way.

However, I wonder if the game differentiates between steady, fast movement over the "speed limit" and GPS drifting? And the sprinting we see when GPS drifting occurs is the game trying to make sure it catches up with the player, versus running to indicate a breaking of the "speed limit".
 

Theo-92

Well-Known Member
Yes, though the 1000 would have been because it was the first time for that evolved form so you got a new pokedex entry. Evolving the same one again will just be 500 or 1000 with the egg.

Yeah realised I had evolved 2 pokemon then checked my experience.

Also Pidgey is the Blissey of Pokemon go. Rattata is comes close as they always seem to be available throughout the day. I haven't seen many Caterpie and Weedle to compare but i'm pretty sure other's have.

Thinking of trying cycling to but as other's have said it's not exactly safe. A Recumbent bike may be best. Lol
 
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DizzyDevi

New Member
So you are absolutely sure that if I go out on my bike it will register the distance? I have waaaay to many eggs on high distance to walk it out.
 

abrownbear

New Member
i have been notified by my local Team Valour facebook group that the current level cap is 50, no details were provided for level rewards after lvl 21
 

fleuriine

Nohrian Scum
So you are absolutely sure that if I go out on my bike it will register the distance? I have waaaay to many eggs on high distance to walk it out.

Since I don't have a bike available at the moment, I cannot say for certain, but I'd say there's a 99.9% chance that the bike will register, especially considering others have used it to hatch eggs. Anyone who has a bike please feel free to confirm/correct me.

i have been notified by my local Team Valour facebook group that the current level cap is 50, no details were provided for level rewards after lvl 21

Hm, while a level cap at 50 certainly sounds possible, I have trouble believing anyone has actually gotten to the cap yet. This is definitely interesting to keep in mind, but I think we should wait until someone hits a wall or an official announcement before conclusively saying, haha.
 

NewSchoolBoxer

Active Member
I drive a car with a big digital speedometer. As far as I can tell, I get 100% of the distance for egg hatching when driving 5 mph (8 kmh) or slower. I'm not sure about going any faster. You might say that I should just walk instead of drive but that's not always an option in bad weather, I don't own a bicycle and the speed limit (for traveling distance to count) may be higher than 5 mph. Obviously, biking would count but not during the time when you are going over the speed limit. The slow speeds when starting and braking would probably count, so you really need to track your distance to determine if you're getting credited for 100% of it.
 
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