This page explains the best way to chain for Shiny Pokémon using the Poké Radar in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (BDSP).
(1 of 2) Your goal is to uncover one of these rare shiny patches.
Your goal is to uncover one of these rare shiny patches. (left), Here’s a shiny Eevee we encountered. (right)
Besides encountering exclusive Pokémon, the main reason to use the Poké Radar is to hunt for Shiny Pokémon. As your chain increases, the shiny odds will increase incrementally, up to a 1 in 99 chance at a chain of length 40. While this sounds great, reaching very long chains is frustratingly difficult in practice.
(Due to the bugginess, it’s not efficient to use the Poké Radar to obtain high IV Pokémon.)
Chance of Reaching a Chain¶
The table below outlines the shiny rate for a given chain length, alongside the chance of successfully reaching that chain. Assuming you always go for the furthest grass tile(s) and catch that Pokémon.
| Chain Length | Shiny Rate | Chance of Reaching |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1:4096 | 100.00% |
| 1 | 1:3855 | 93.00% |
| 2 | 1:3640 | 86.49% |
| 3 | 1:3449 | 80.44% |
| 4 | 1:3277 | 74.81% |
| 5 | 1:3121 | 69.57% |
| 6 | 1:2979 | 64.70% |
| 7 | 1:2849 | 60.17% |
| 8 | 1:2731 | 55.96% |
| 9 | 1:2621 | 52.04% |
| 10 | 1:2521 | 48.40% |
| 11 | 1:2427 | 45.01% |
| 12 | 1:2341 | 41.86% |
| 13 | 1:2259 | 38.93% |
| 14 | 1:2185 | 36.20% |
| 15 | 1:2114 | 33.67% |
| 16 | 1:2048 | 31.31% |
| 17 | 1:1986 | 29.12% |
| 18 | 1:1927 | 27.08% |
| 19 | 1:1872 | 25.19% |
| 20 | 1:1820 | 23.42% |
| 21 | 1:1771 | 21.78% |
| 22 | 1:1724 | 20.26% |
| 23 | 1:1680 | 18.84% |
| 24 | 1:1638 | 17.52% |
| 25 | 1:1598 | 16.30% |
| 26 | 1:1560 | 15.16% |
| 27 | 1:1524 | 14.09% |
| 28 | 1:1489 | 13.11% |
| 29 | 1:1456 | 12.19% |
| 30 | 1:1310 | 11.34% |
| 31 | 1:1285 | 10.54% |
| 32 | 1:1260 | 9.81% |
| 33 | 1:1236 | 9.12% |
| 34 | 1:1213 | 8.48% |
| 35 | 1:1192 | 7.89% |
| 36 | 1:993 | 7.33% |
| 37 | 1:799 | 6.82% |
| 38 | 1:400 | 6.34% |
| 39 | 1:200 | 5.90% |
| 40 | 1:99 | 5.49% |
| 100 | 1:99 | 0.07% |
For example, the chance of getting a chain of length 10 is a bit less than 50%. Meaning it’s a complete coin toss just to chain 10 Pokémon. If you’re struggling to maintain a chain beyond 10, that’s the reason why–not because you’re doing anything wrong.
So while the shiny odds at a chain of 40 look enticing, you’ll only reach that chain roughly 5 out of 100 times. Don’t even think about a chain of 100; the chance is the same order of magnitude as finding a full odds shiny!
Most Efficient Way to Chain for Shiny Pokémon¶
People have done the Maths and the best way to hunt for Shiny Pokémon is to stop at a chain of around 17. The chance of getting a 17-long chain is 29.12% through optimal play, which isn’t very high, but achievable with a bit of luck and/or determination.
(1 of 4) First, try your best to achieve a 17-long chain.
Once your chain is at 17, do not enter any more shaking grass (unless they are shiny). Instead, walk 50 spaces and use the Poké Radar to generate a new set of four shaking grass tiles. Then walk another 50 spaces and repeat until you find a shiny grass patch, run out of resources or get bored.
The idea is that, while going for increasingly higher chains is nice in theory, there’s a decent chance your chain will break before you can reap the benefits of the boosted shiny rate.
This method is a statistical compromise, by fixing the shiny rate at a decent 1:1986, but preventing your chain from breaking. Thereby giving you more opportunity to benefit from the boosted shiny rate, even if it could be higher.
Although this is the most efficient way to shiny-hunt, we must emphasize that there’s no guaranteed you’ll find a shiny–at the end of the day, it’s completely down to luck. This method just makes it slightly easier.
Sign up
No Comments