Pokemon GO Larvitar Community Day Classic January 2023 Guide and Tasks

Larvitar returns for a Community Day Classic that brings back one of Pokémon Go’s most powerful Rock- and Ground-types. Here’s how to make the most of the event, from catching the perfect Larvitar to powering up your Tyranitar with its exclusive move.

How do I catch a shiny Larvitar?

Shiny Larvitar can be found by catching as many Larvitar as possible during the Community Day Classic event. Incense and Lure Modules increase spawn rates, giving you more chances to spot the rare shiny version. Playing in areas with many PokéStops also helps keep encounters steady. Shiny Larvitar has a distinct greenish hue, so you’ll notice the difference right away once it appears. Using Pinap Berries is a good idea too, as they double Candy rewards while you search.

According to research conducted by Pokémon community site The Silph Road, Shiny rates on Community Days are about 1 in 24, which means that if you keep playing throughout the three-hour window, you should find quite a few shiny Pokémon.

If you’re short on time or Poké Balls, you can pop an Incense, then quickly tap each Larvitar to check for shiny ones, running from any that aren’t shiny. Notably, any Larvitar you’ve already tapped will face where your player is standing, so that should help identify which ones you may have already checked.

What Community Day move does Larvitar’s evolution learn?

Tyranitar evolved during Larvitar Community Day Classic learns the Rock-type move Smack Down. This exclusive attack offers strong damage output and better performance in raids and PvP compared to its standard fast moves. Players who evolve Pupitar into Tyranitar during the event, or within two hours after it ends, will receive this special move automatically.

If you evolve Pupitar into Tyranitar between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in your local time, it will learn the fast move Smack Down.

If you miss out on evolving it during this period, you will likely be able to evolve it during a Community Day weekend event in December to get Smack Down. If you don’t want to wait, you can use an Elite TM to get the move.

How does Tyranitar do in the Pokémon Go meta?

Tyranitar holds a strong position in the Pokémon Go meta as a powerful Rock- and Dark-type attacker. Its Shadow variant ranks among the best Rock-type damage dealers, making it valuable for raids against Flying-, Fire-, and Ice-type bosses. While it faces competition from newer Pokémon with higher damage output, Tyranitar remains a reliable option thanks to its bulk and versatile moveset. In PvP, it sees some use in Master League, where its resistances and heavy-hitting charged attacks can pressure many opponents.

Tyranitar is at the top of the non-legendary PvE tier list when it comes to both dark- and rock-type moves. You can give it Smack Down and Stone Edge to make it a powerful rock-type attacker or give it Bite and Crunch to do dark-type damage. If you want to make it even stronger, try to nab a Shadow Larvitar from a Team Go Rocket member.

Tyranitar can also Mega Evolve, but its Mega Evolution has yet to be added to Pokémon Go, so stay tuned for whenever they add that, as it’ll just make it even stronger.

How do I make the most of Larvitar Community Day?

Plan your playtime around the event’s featured hours to take full advantage of boosted Larvitar spawns and bonuses. Use Incense and Lure Modules to attract more Pokémon, and focus on areas with dense PokéStops for higher catch rates. Stock up on Poké Balls, Pinap Berries, and Star Pieces before the event begins. Evolve Pupitar during the event window to get a Tyranitar with its special move, and don’t forget to check for Shiny variants to expand your collection.

The following bonuses will be active during Larvitar Community Day:

• Tripled XP for catching Pokémon
• Incense lasts three hours
• Lure Modules lasts three hours
• Larvitar special photobombs when taking snapshots

Best moveset for Smack Down Tyranitar in raids and PvP

Smack Down Tyranitar shines as a Rock-type attacker in Pokémon Go raids, leveraging its exclusive Fast Move for strong STAB damage against Flying, Bug, Fire, and Ice bosses. In PvP, it offers solid utility in higher leagues but requires careful team support due to its bulk and typing weaknesses.

Raid Moveset

Smack Down pairs best with Stone Edge for maximum Rock DPS at 20 DPS total, ideal for bosses like Rayquaza or Moltres.
Alternatives like adding Crunch provide Dark coverage, but pure Rock focus outperforms for most raid scenarios.
This setup edges out generalist movesets like Bite/Brutal Swing by about 10% in Rock-neutral matchups.

PvP Moveset

Opt for Smack Down, Stone Edge, and Brutal Swing (or Crunch) in Ultra/Master League for Rock-type baiting and Dark spam.
It excels as a shield-breaker against Flyers and Poisons but struggles vs. Fighters; legacy Smack Down boosts its viability over Bite variants.
Expect 2-shield performance around 80-90% win rates in favorable cups per recent simulations.

Mega Variant

Mega Tyranitar with Smack Down/Brutal Swing hits 16.8 DPS in raids, adding team-wide Rock boosts for even higher effective output.
In PvP events allowing Megas, it dominates with dual STAB coverage.

Best IVs for Smack Down Tyranitar in raids

For Smack Down Tyranitar in Pokémon Go raids, prioritize high Attack IVs to maximize Rock-type DPS output with Stone Edge, as this setup excels against Flying, Fire, Ice, and Bug bosses. Hundos (15/15/15) are ideal at level 40 for peak performance, but even 10/10/10 or similar high-IV spreads remain viable since breakpoints are forgiving beyond level 30. Lower Attack IVs (below 10) noticeably drop DPS, making them suboptimal for serious raiding.

IV Rankings

Aim for level 40 or XL if investing heavily, where Attack > HP/Stamina > Defense for pure damage focus.

Shadow Considerations

Shadow Smack Down Tyranitar boosts DPS by ~20% over regular but tanks TDO due to frailty-use only with good IVs (ideally 10+ Attack) in small lobbies or solos. Regular high-IV versions outperform low-IV Shadows in group raids.​