Lowered Shiny Rates for Pokeradar in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Explained

Shiny-hunting using the Pokeradar has been a staple of every Pokemon game in which the device has existed. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl continue this tradition in much the same way as previous versions of Pokemon games. That said, the recent V1.1.2 update to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl has made this quite a bit more difficult.

For the uninitiated, this method of shiny-hunting involves “chaining” Pokemon battles by using the Pokeradar to encounter the same species as many times in a row as possible. Doing so grants increased IVs and a much better chance at a shiny. Capturing the Pokemon grants better odds of continuing the chain that simply knocking it out.

So What Changed in V1.1.2?

In short, the biggest change is that you no longer get a bonus for capturing a Pokemon that is between 1 and 3 tiles away from your previous KO or capture. This can actually be pretty significant, as previously, capturing at any of these distances granted a 10% higher chance of continuing the chain.

10% might not sound like a lot, but consider that the new odds of continuing a chain 3 tiles away are 73%. Previously, capturing at this distance gave only a 17% chance of the chain ending. Now, the odds of the chain ending are 27%, which is over 1.5x the previous likelihood.

The good news is that you have the highest odds of continuing a chain by battling a Pokemon that’s 4 tiles away and the bonus for capturing at this distance didn’t change at all. So if you’re already using the Pokeradar as optimally as possible, you don’t have to worry about this change.

So What’s the Best Way to Shiny-Hunt Now?

If you’re using the Pokeradar for shiny hunting after version 1.1.2, it’s important to only battle Pokemon four tiles away from your previous location and to always capture them when possible. If you stick to this guideline, it’s as though nothing has changed at all! Otherwise, you might find your Pokeradar chains breaking a lot more often.