Pokemon Go: Using Incense correctly to catch more Pokemon
Incense is a valuable freebie or purchased commodity in Pokemon Go – but use it wisely.
While Lures are used at Pokestops to give everybody nearby a net benefit, Pokemon Go's Incense item is a vital tool for any budding trainer – but it's also a tool that's easy to use incorrectly.
Lures are useful in a different way, but incense specifically attracts Pokemon to you. Let's be clear: it's not going to attract Pokemon that aren't already in your immediate area to you, but it will make Pokemon more likely to appear around you, which is useful if you can see some of your most-wanted Pokemon on the nearby list but can't track them down.
Pokemon attracted by Incense will be surrounded by a swirl of purple gas that's meant to represent the scent of the incense you popped. These Pokemon are only visible to you, so there's no worry about competing with other trainers in the area either.
There's one key trick with Incense that can make or break your experience with it: Incense spawns 1 Pokemon every 5 minutes while you're standing still, but Pokemon will spawn every 1 minute or 200 meters when you're moving.
This means that, yes, popping incense while you're at home not up to much actually isn't very helpful – you'll get at a minimum of a Pokemon for every 5 minutes, so 6 total while the incense is active – but that's it. If you've got a decent pace walking while using incense however you can catch far more and also catch a wider variety as you move through areas with different Pokemon available.
Catching Pokemon nets 100 XP if you've already caught one before and 500 XP if you haven't. This makes Incense an ideal way to level up, too – combine smart incense use with the XP-boosting Lucky Egg item and our strategy of walking a Pokestop lap while evolving lower-end Pokemon to maximise your XP gain over a half hour period.
Incense is rewarded to the player periodically as they play the game – you get 2 to start off with and it's rewarded at level 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20 for starters.
If that isn't enough incense for you, it's also available from the in-game shop for 80 coins, with bundles of 8 available for 500 coins and bundles of 25 available for 1250 coins. At a basic level 100 coins will set you back $1, though the more you buy the cheaper it gets right up to a ludicrous 14500 coins for $100. Spend wisely – and when you do, make sure you use your incense correctly!
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