Should you purify Shadow Regice in Pokemon GO? (March 2023)

Regice has received an all-new shadow form in Pokemon GO thanks to its appearance alongside Team GO Rocket's Giovanni. It is the latest of the Legendary Titans to do so as of March 2023.

Like other Shadow Pokemon, trainers who acquire a Shadow Regice may wonder whether they should purify it or keep it in its current state. The decision depends on what a player hopes to achieve with their Regice and the battles they plan to use it in. In certain circumstances, a Shadow or purified Regice may be more beneficial.

Shadow Regice may end up being the most popular option among Pokemon GO players, but there are pros and cons to Regice's shadow and purified forms.

---

Pros and cons of purifying Shadow Regice in Pokemon GO

A standard or purified Regice still has plenty to offer in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

Although Shadow Regice should prove to be a popular pick among many Pokemon GO fans, it doesn't necessarily perform well in every situation. This is due to the reduced durability that all Shadow Pokemon receive in exchange for their boosted damage output. Furthermore, Shadow Regice can be expensive to max out CP and move-wise, especially because the move Frustration isn't particularly easy to remove without the assistance of a Charged TM during specific events (like the Team GO Rocket Takeover) where Frustration can be undone without the process of purification.

Be that as it may, Shadow Regice is particularly capable in Pokemon GO's PvP environments like the GO Battle League or certain specialty cups. This is due to its excellent attack boost as a Shadow Pokemon while also having quality durability despite the shadow form debuff. However, in formats like raids and gym defense, durability is valued much more, meaning a purified Regice may be preferred over its shadow counterpart.

There are a few additional upsides to purifying Shadow Regice in Pokemon GO. It gains a CP boost up to level 25 if the player hasn't powered it up past that point, making it cheaper in the long run to max out Regice's CP. Additionally, Regice loses the move Frustration (replaced with the move Return, which can be changed like a normal Charged Move), it can learn new moves at a reduced cost, and powering it up is also cheaper.

Purification also immediately increases the IV stats of Regice by two in all categories, making it slightly better in the stats department if it doesn't already have maximum IVs, which is a rarity for trainers who catch a Shadow Regice.

Without its shadow form debuff, Regice reclaims its original (and impressive) durability. However, the loss of its shadow form will also reduce its overall attack output. Even without the boost to its DPS, a purified Regice is still fully capable of dealing solid damage and taking plenty of punishment in Pokemon GO. Combine this with the cost reduction of its power ups and moves, and purified Regice is still very much an asset for Pokemon GO trainers who want to prioritize bulkiness and cost-effectiveness when working with this Legendary Titan.

While most Pokemon GO fans may prefer to keep Shadow Regice for its damage buff, those who wish to get a little more sturdiness out of their Regice should consider purifying it, and the IV stat boost can be the difference between having a two-star and three-star Pokemon in some very specific instances. Furthermore, if trainers are hoping to power up and pick an optimal moveset for this Legendary Pokemon, then purification is preferred.

It's true that Shadow Regice can be maxed out like its purified counterpart, but doing so requires many more resources as well as a special event that allows Frustration to be removed. If these conditions are met, Shadow Regice remains a fantastic contender in PvP, but a stoic purified Regice can still hold its own on defense and throw out some damage of its own in PvE. In the end, the question of which form is superior comes down to individual players depending on what they need from their Ice-type behemoth.