Pokemon Legends Arceus guide: Shiny hunting in PLA (2023)

If you’ve ever found a Shiny Pokemon in the wild at random or you finally get one after grinding your way through thousands of encounters, you’ll know just how gratifying of an experience it can be, especially if it’s for your favorite ‘mons. Like a Eureka moment, catching these rare variants is a staple in the franchise, and that’s still true even in Pokemon Legends Arceus. The newly released title has brought many changes to the mechanics we’ve come to know, including some ways to make Shiny hunting a lot easier. From Shiny charms to Mass Outbreak events, here’s a guide on how you can improve your chances at finding Shiny Pokemon in PLA.

Pokemon Legends Arceus: How to find Shiny Pokemon

Spotting Shiny Pokemon in PLA

With the release of Pokemon titles on the Switch, Game Freak made it so that encounters have become more “transparent”, if you will. No longer are trainers heading into tall grass without a clue as to what wild creatures they might encounter. Instead, even as far back as Pokemon Sword & Shield for example, the Pokemon appear on the overworld, allowing you to walk up to the specific ‘mons you want to catch or fight. But even then, players couldn’t tell if these were Shiny, having to actually engage in battle to see if the Pokemon has the alternate coloring.

In Legends Arceus, however, spotting Shiny Pokemon has never been easier. Their character models in the overworld will already show you if they have the Shiny color scheme. Moreover, they sparkle when they spawn plus you’ll hear a little jingle or sound effect when the Shiny Pokemon are nearby so you won’t miss them.

Just like previous Pokemon games, the Shiny encounter rate in Legends Arceus stands at one out of 4,096 or 0.02% — meaning they are very rare ‘mons indeed. Think of it as rolling a die; a regular six-sided die gives you a 1/6 or 16.67% chance of getting a five, for example, in the same way that if you roll a 4,096-sided die, there’s just one chance of landing on a Shiny Pokemon.

But with PLA’s new features, trainers have now gained a bunch of different ways to boost their odds at finding a Shiny, making hunting them down potentially less time-consuming or frustrating but just as rewarding nevertheless.

Improving Encounter Rates for Shiny Pokemon

Thanks to Anubis (@Sinuba_Switch on Twitter), the dataminer has crunched the numbers on Shiny encounter rates in Legends Arceus, breaking down exactly what trainers have to do in order to raise the likelihood of spotting the Pokemon they want.

Shiny hunters will enjoy Pokémon Legends: Arceus! Along with the Shiny Charm, many new mechanics can further improve your chances of finding a shiny from the base 1/4096 rate.

Here are your shiny rates as of version 1.0.1. pic.twitter.com/gw4dswDMHS

(Video) SO BEKOMMT IHR SHINY POKEMON in Pokemon Legenden: Arceus! - Shiny Hunting Guide V.1.0 - 1.0.2

— Anubis (@Sibuna_Switch) January 27, 2022

Complete vs Perfect Research Levels and Pokedex Entries

From the 1/4096 spawn rate at the start of the game, the chances of encountering a Shiny Pokemon gradually improves as players rank up in terms of their Pokedex research stage. This allows trainers to unlock separate rolls, so that the game essentially casts the die an additional time, like checking the possibility of a Shiny twice or several more times. At the “Complete” Dex Research stage, or Research Level 10, you get a second roll and increase your chances to 1/2048 for a given Pokemon. (You’ll know if you research this level when you see a Pokeball icon beside the Pokedex entry for that ‘mon after completing 7 square takss.)

If you then accomplish all the tasks on the Dex page and see stars on the Pokeball icon, that means your Research level is now at the “Perfect” stage for that Pokemon in PLA. Achieving this would grant players two more rolls, bringing it to +3 additional rolls, or four total rolls if you count the base roll. Overall, this boosts the Shiny encounter rate to 1/1024.

Now, that may still seem like a very rare spawn rate, so Legends Arceus actually gives trainers even more options to aid them in their Shiny hunting. The two ways that give players a huge benefit is through getting the Shiny Charm item as well as taking advantage of Mass Outbreak events.

Boost Your Odds With Shiny Charm And Mass Outbreaks

The Shiny Charm and the Mass Outbreak are valuable additions, perhaps even more beneficial than trying to reach the Perfect research level. If you combine a Complete research level with a Shiny Charm, you’ll already improve your odds to one shiny Pokemon for every ~820 encounters, or five times more likely to appear than normal. Do note, though, that you’ll need to complete every Pokedex entry before you can obtain the Shiny Charm and it can only be equipped for Dex pages that are already at Research Level 10.

(Video) HOW TO FIND SHINY POKÉMON IN 5 MINUTES- pokemon legends arceus shiny hunting tutorial!

Arguably the best way is trying your luck with Mass Outbreaks. A newly introduced feature in Legends Arceus, swarms of a single Pokemon will spawn in a random location in Hisui. Even without getting Research Level 10, if you head to a Mass Outbreak, you’d already have a 1/158 or 0.6% chance of finding a Shiny Pokemon — essentially as good as having +25 extra rolls or 26 total rolls. It presents a huge opportunity to catch a Shiny ‘mon for players who may not have the time to complete the Dex to get the Shiny Charm. Trainers will definitely find this method more worthwhile than trying to achieve the Perfect research level.

Of course, all of these methods stack up in PLA. You can improve the chances to 1/128 or a 0.8% Shiny encounter rate with the combination of Complete, Perfect research, Shiny Charm, and Mass Outbreak. However, one downside or limitation with the Mass Outbreaks is that it appears at random so you can’t control what Pokemon actually spawn for these events. As such, if you really want to get the Shiny variant of one specific Pokemon, you might have better luck trying to finish the Dex tasks and improving your research level.

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Finding Shiny Pokemon At Mass Outbreaks in PLA

Players already unlock Mass Outbreak or swarm feature at the start of Legends Arceus. This can help you find a Shiny Pokemon even in the early stages of your Hisui adventure.

  • Head over to Jubilife Village and save your progress.
  • When you exit Jubilife Village, talk to the security guard so you can see the Hisui map. Look for a Pokemon icon, which marks the specific area where a Mass Outbreak is unfolding.
  • Travel to the location of the Mass Outbreak and sneak up on the group of Pokemon.
    • Throw Pokeballs at them to try and catch them.
    • In case you have to battle, defeat each wild Pokemon one at a time so that you trigger more of the creatures to spawn in the area.
    • Remember that if the Pokemon is a Shiny, you’ll notice it immediately based on the sparkle special effect and the jingle sound.
  • After the Pokemon stop spawning and you haven’t found a shiny, shut down the game and reload your save file.
    • By resetting PLA, you’ll find yourself back at Jubilife Village but the outbreak will be happening at the same place.
    • However, the encounters could change, because this would only be determined when you arrive at the Outbreak location on the map.
    • This is a good way for you to try and get a different Shiny Pokemon to spawn if you’re not particularly interested in the first group of creatures that you find.
  • Keep resetting the game until you find a Shiny. You can also do this in combination with the Shiny Charm and Complete or Perfect Research levels.

What PokemonCan’tBe Shiny?

Most of the Pokemon in the Hisui Dex will be available to catch as a Shiny if you’re dedicated to hunting them down. However, some ‘mons will be “shiny-locked”, specifically the starter trio and the Legendary Pokemon. Trainers won’t be able to find them as shinies at all. They count as “static encounters”, meaning that whatever you do in the game, you’ll always encounter them in the adventure/storyline.

The developers may have designed Legends Arceus this way to avoid players resetting their game at the start just trying to get a Shiny starter Pokemon. Besides the Legendaries and Rowlet, Cyndaquil, or Oshawott, the other Shiny-locked ‘mons include: Unown, Spiritomb, Alolan Vulpix, and the Chimchar that you get from completing Research Request 20. Also, in the post-game, you’ll be given the other two starters that you didn’t pick, but these also won’t be Shiny.

(Video) The BEST Shiny Hunting Methods in Pokemon Legends Arceus V1.0 - V1.0.2

FAQs

Can Arceus be shiny in PLA? ›

All 5 of the mythical Pokémon in Legends: Arceus are shiny locked. While it's disappointing that players can't catch Shiny Arceus in Arceus, it's an understandable limitation that prevents the creature from becoming too abundant.

What is the most effective shiny hunting method in legends arceus? ›

The best way to hunt Shiny Pokémon is through a mass outbreak. Since mass outbreak spawns are random, it's a good idea to complete the Pokédex entry for any of your favorite Pokémon, so you'll be ready when they appear in a mass outbreak.

What are the odds of getting a shiny Pokémon in PLA? ›

How To Find Shiny Pokemon In Pokemon Legends: Arceus. The base shiny rate in Pokemon Legends: Arceus is one in 4096, the same as it's been since Gen 6. This means that any given Pokemon spawn has around a 0.02 percent chance of being shiny.

How do you maximize shiny odds in Legends arceus? ›

If you're planning on going shiny hunting, especially for a particular Pokémon, we recommend increasing your shiny odds by reaching a perfect level on their Pokédex entry and attending any Mass or Massive Mass Outbreak which occur for this Pokémon.

Can you get shiny Legendaries in PLA? ›

[Related: Pokemon Legends Arceus Starter Evolutions]

Unfortunately, Legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Legends Arceus are Shiny Locked. Therefore, no matter how often players attempt to restart the game, they won't run into any Shiny Legendary Pokemon.

Can PLA starters be shiny? ›

While the intro starter Pokémon are locked away at the beginning of the game, there's still a chance to get shiny Starters in Arceus later on. All legendary and mythical Pokémon that appear throughout the main story, like Dialga, Palkia, and Arceus, are all Shiny locked as well, with no way to obtain these forms.

How do you efficiently hunt shiny? ›

If you're trying to find shiny Pokémon in the wild, using sandwiches is a must. You'll need Herba Mystica, which you can only get from high-level raids. Using specific ingredients in “Creative Mode,” you can make sandwiches that both boost the encounter rate and the shiny rate to find specific types of Pokémon.

Which shiny hunting method is better? ›

The Masuda Method – Scarlet & Violet

The Masuda Method increases your odds of getting a shiny Pokémon from breeding eggs, and it'll be a huge boon in your hunts. The key to unlocking the Masuda Method is using two Pokémon from different language regions.

Why is shiny hunting so easy in Legends arceus? ›

A primary reason Shiny hunting in Pokémon Legends: Arceus has been so easy is the overworld spawning Pokémon in the wild areas of the map. Much like Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee, the Pokémon visible on the map have the ability to appear Shiny when they spawn in.

How much does research level 10 increase shiny odds? ›

Pokédex research levels

For each specific Pokémon you reach research rank level 10, the odds of finding a Shiny of that specific Pokémon gets sliced down from the base 1 in 4,096 to 1 in 2,048.25. That alone basically doubles your chances.

How do you farm Shinies in arceus? ›

Getting the Shiny Charm requires you to reach level 10 research for every Pokemon in the Legends Arceus 'dex, all 242 of them. It's easier than maxing research tasks for a given Pokemon, though it still takes time.

What are the shiny odds of PLA getting the Shiny Charm? ›

Normally, your odds of seeing a Shiny are 1 in 4,096. That drops to 1 in 2,048 for every Pokémon you reach research level 10 for, which you will need to do for all of them to get this charm, or further down to 1 in 1,024 if you do every research task for a Pokémon.

How rare is a 100% shiny in Pokémon GO? ›

On average, there's a 1 in 500 chance, or . 2%, for a wild Pokémon in Pokémon GO to be Shiny, although the rates change depending on various circumstances. The rate appears to be eight times higher - a 1 in 62.5 chance, or 1.6% - for very rare wild spawns, certain Shadow Pokémon, and certain raid Pokémon.

What happens if you knock out Landorus PLA? ›

Don't worry if you knock it out, all you need to do is leave the area and it'll respawn.

What is the rarest shiny Arceus? ›

In Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Cranidos is one of the rarest Pokemon in the entire game. If you're looking for Cranidos, the Pokemon can only be found in a space-time distortion in the Coronet Highlands.

Can you complete PLA Pokedex without trading? ›

In a series first, Pokémon Legends: Arceus players won't need to trade with friends in order to complete the game's Pokédex. Instead, Game Freak has simplified some classic evolution methods, allowing a solo player to get every monster in the game without help.

What is the best starter in PLA? ›

If you're looking for a smooth start, Oshawott is a good pick. If you're looking for a challenge, go with Rowlet. Ultimately, you should just pick whichever Pokémon you like. You can find counters for the Noble Pokémon and get past them without even battling, so go with whatever starter your heart desires.

How do you get a shiny finish on PLA? ›

PLA parts can be finished with a coat of epoxy like XTC-3D from Smooth-On. This will smooth out the part and give it a pretty nice shine. I've also had a fair amount of success sanding prints, giving them a coat of automotive filler primer, and using glossy spray paint.

Why is my PLA shiny? ›

PLA printed at a high temperature at the top and above the recommended range will have a shiny glossy surface finish like the print on the right side of the photo (printed at 250°C). By varying the temperature of your printer you can obtain different finishes with the same material without post-processing.

What is the easiest shiny starter hunt? ›

All of these additions make Pokemon Legends: Arceus the easiest game to shiny hunt in by far. This works for almost every Pokemon except for all the legendaries and the starters Professor Laventon gives you, although you can hunt for those in the wild later.

When should you stop shiny hunting? ›

There is a trick to using mass outbreaks to farm shiny Pokémon. The Pokémon are not infinite. If you defeat them all, the outbreak will be over. So once you have killed 60 Pokémon, you want to stop there.

Does saving mess up shiny hunting? ›

The Pokemon that were there when you saved will be the same, but everything that spawns after that will be new, and have the potential to be shiny.

What is the hardest Pokémon game to shiny hunt? ›

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Hardest Pokemon To Shiny Hunt
  • 8 Wattrel. ...
  • 7 Varoom. ...
  • 6 Mimikyu. ...
  • 5 Ditto, Zorua, And Zoroark. ...
  • 4 Dusk Form Lycanroc. ...
  • 3 Tynamo. ...
  • 2 Family Of Three Maushold And Three-Segment Dudunsparce. ...
  • 1 Authentic Sinistea. This one Pokemon has plagued the shiny hunting community for years.
Jan 8, 2023

What is the rarest shiny rate? ›

Every Pokemon Go player wants to find and catch at least one shiny Pokemon in the game, and while it may seem easy, Shiny Pokemon are rare to find.
...
Shiny Rates Pokemon Go
  • The Standard Shiny rate is 1 in 500.
  • For Legendary and Mythical Raids is 1 in 20.
  • Community Day Shiny rates are 1 in 25.

What sandwiches increase shiny odds? ›

For instance, if players combine an avocado with a Salty Herba Mythica and a Spicy Herba Mythica, they will have a sandwich that increases their chance of encountering a dragon type Pokemon, as well as increasing the chance that the encountered Pokemon will be a shiny Pokemon.

How do you farm outbreaks for Shinies? ›

Mass Outbreaks Shiny Odds: How to increase Shiny odds

When you reach the area of the Mass Outbreak, place down a manual save, and make sure autosaves are off. Following this, you'll begin to encounter the Pokemon you're trying to hunt. Then, begin capturing, or defeating them, until you've done this 60 times.

How do you increase shiny odds? ›

By defeating or capturing them, you can increase your odds of a shiny Pokémon appearing. The easiest way to do this is simply to allow a powerful Pokémon to autobattle their way through the waves of spawns. After a while, if you're lucky, a shiny Pokémon will appear.

Are there shiny alphas in Arceus? ›

If players then close the game and restart it, it will once again load a new Pokemon with a chance of being shiny. For Pokemon Legends: Arceus players, this is an easy way of creating an Alpha Pokemon shiny farm. The game just needs to be closed and opened over and over until a shiny spawns.

What are the odds of getting a shiny 100% IV? ›

The chance to get a 100% IV (15/15/15) Pokemon in Pokemon GO is 1/4096, or in percentage, 0.0244%. The chance to get any combination of IVs is the same and equals 1/4096. The game awards IV values using three random rolls, from 0 to 15.

What is the shiny spawn rate for arceus? ›

The worst odds for encountering a Shiny Pokemon in Legends: Arceus is 1/4096, and the best is 1/128.49.

How rare is it to get a shiny from field research? ›

The chance of encountering a Shiny from a Field Research task is 1 in 450. However they could possibly be higher for certain encounters (eg. Absol).

Can you reset mass outbreaks for Shinies? ›

Shiny Hunting Massive Mass Outbreaks. Unfortunately, you cannot return to Jubilife to “advance” the state of the game to reset the same outbreaks over and over. Each event is effectively “one-and-done,” so you have to continue checking fresh Massive Mass Outbreaks.

Do mass outbreaks increase shiny odds? ›

As you defeat Pokemon in an Outbreak, your chance to obtain Shiny Pokemon increases. At around 20 to 30 Pokemon defeated, you will gain an additional Shiny Chance roll, increasing the likelihood of encountering a Shiny from 1 in 4096 to 1 in 2048.

What happens if the Shiny Ponyta runs away? ›

Don't worry if the Ponyta runs away during your encounter, as you can simply return to Jubilife Village to reset the location and force another Shiny Ponyta to spawn.

Can you capture Arceus in PLA? ›

Arceus is a Normal-Type Alpha Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Arceus that serves as the titular Legendary Pokémon of the game, and players may be wondering if this fabled creature can be caught. Simply put, Arceus can be captured and used as one of the Trainer's party members.

Is Arceus Shiny locked in BDSP? ›

Upon arrival, you'll be prompted to play the Azure Flute and doing so will cause a staircase to appear. Arceus is awaiting you at the top of these stairs and, since this Pokémon is not shiny locked, this is the perfect place to save if you're shiny hunting.

How do you know if Arceus is shiny? ›

How can we identify a shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Legends Arceus?
  1. Shiny Pokémon can be seen in the environment and have stars around them when they first appear in the area you are in.
  2. Shiny Pokémon also make a special sound when they first appear in the area we are in.
Jan 29, 2022

Can Alpha Arceus be shiny? ›

If players then close the game and restart it, it will once again load a new Pokemon with a chance of being shiny. For Pokemon Legends: Arceus players, this is an easy way of creating an Alpha Pokemon shiny farm. The game just needs to be closed and opened over and over until a shiny spawns.

What happens if you complete the Pokedex in PLA? ›

Completing the Pokedex Comes with a Reward

By completing the Pokedex in Arceus, players not only get bragging rights and the eternal praise of Professor Laventon, they also receive a Shiny Charm. Using the Shiny Charm makes it significantly easier to find Shiny Pokemon in the wild.

Do you need Darkrai to get Arceus in PLA? ›

What that means, if you don't know, is that you first need to catch every other Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, including ultra powerful ones like Palika, Dialga, Regigigas, and more. The only ones that don't count are the Mythical Darkrai and Shaymin.

Is the 2nd Koraidon shiny locked? ›

The box art legendaries of this generation, Koraidon, and Miraidon, are shiny-locked due to the pattern followed from Generation V onwards. All Pokemon traded with NPCs in this generation are not obtainable in shiny form due to a restriction applied to them by the developers.

What is the rarest Shiny Pokemon? ›

Unown C is the rarest of them all. Its shiny version was made available for only eight hours in three cities in November 2020.

Do Shinies sparkle in arceus? ›

The short answer is yes, you can see Shiny Pokemon in the overworld before starting battle with them in Pokemon Legends: Arceus ! They will also occasionally sparkle and a special sound effect will play, alerting you to their presence.

What is the easiest way to get a shiny alpha in legends arceus? ›

For those who have Shiny hunted legendary Pokemon in previous games, you already know about soft resetting. This isn't a method that's new to Pokemon as a franchise, but it is new to Legends Arceus. You can also increase your odds of finding a Shiny Alpha by completing its Pokedex entry and obtaining the Shiny Charm.

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