Available now on Nintendo Switch, Pokémon Sword and Shield is the first mainline Pokémon RPG on the Switch and also the first to make its way to a console. While it’s not as drastic and revolutionary a overhaul as some may have hoped, it’s still quite the big game with plenty to grasp. If you’re new to the franchise, here are some Pokémon Sword and Shield beginner’s tips.
Some of these may be obvious to long-time Pokémon players, but if this is your first introduction to a Pokémon RPG or if you haven’t played since the Game Boy days, you may need a refresher. It’s not quite as simple an experience as it used to be with things like Dynamaxing, camping, and much more to consider. We’ll be updating the below beginner’s tips the deeper into the game we get.
Know Your Pokémon Types
This will likely be an asinine tip for veteran players, but Pokémon Sword and Shield offers a lot more Pokémon types than back in the good ol’ days. The classics return, this time backed by a few new ones that might take a little bit of getting used to. Different Pokémon types all have their own weaknesses and strengths against other Pokémon types – water will always be very strong against fire, for instance. Be sure to research before you send out the wrong Pokémon for the job. On a similar note, make sure you have a diverse party of different Pokémon types so you’re ready for anything.
Grind Those Wells
You can find wells out in the Wild Area that will contain a Dynamax Pokémon, which you can defeat and then catch in a pseudo-raid of sorts with other players or AI. These Pokémon are especially strong compared to the rest of your party early on yet are very easy to catch. As well as being an instant improvement on your party, these well Pokémon will drop a lot of XP boost items that you can use on your Pokémon to quickly level up.
Trade Your Watts
As well as offering you easy Pokémon and XP gains, wells in Pokémon Sword and Shield will give you watts, which you can use throughout the Wild Area to purchase items from collectors. An active well will give you hundreds of watts, while an inactive one will still give you about fifty watts or so just for interacting with it. The collectors will give you some worthwhile items that can even be sold at a shop for quite the premium in Pokédollars.
Claim A Free Meowth
From now until early next year, you can claim yourself a free Meowth in Pokémon Sword and Shield just by visiting the Mystery Gifts section after pressing X to bring up your menu. All you need is a Nintendo account and a connection to the internet and you have yourself a free Pokémon that can go Gigantamax added to your party. We called ours Meowchael, because we are terrible.
Set Up Camp
Setting up a Pokémon Camp will allow you to bond with your Pokémon and also cook them curray, meaning that they may feel more indebted to you and perform better in battle. To cook, simply experiment with all of the berries and special ingredients you find with different end products having different effects. You can even play fetch with your Pokémon and earn some XP once you’re done with the camp. If you build up your Curry Dex, you can claim free rewards by talking to enthusiasts out in a Wild Area.
Whistle To Lure Pokémon
Random battles aren’t quite as random in Pokémon Sword and Shield as they used to be, you now being able to see Pokémon hanging out in the tall grass. To get the attention of the Pokémon and separate them from each other, click in the left stick to whistle so that you can engage with a particular Pokémon. Be warned, though: Pokémon like Tyrogue will come absolutely roaring towards you looking for a fight.
Give Your Pokémon Heals To Hold
By going into your Bag or through the Pokémon menu, you can select specific items for your Pokémon to hold, which include Oran Berries for healing. Once your Pokémon’s HP gets low, they will automatically consume one to heal without using up their turn. You can also them special items to give them buffs, which typically corresponds with what type they are. A Silk Scarf, for instance, can be given to a normal type Pokémon to boost their stats.
Send Your Pokémon Off To Work
This is one of the weirdest mechanics of Pokémon Sword and Shield, but one that we love because of how absurd it is. In a Pokémon Center, you can use a console next to the nurse by the name of Rotom Phone that will allow you to send your Pokémon out on Poké Jobs. You have to choose three Pokémon for up to a day to send out with EXP boosts if their type matches the one sought after by the job listing — sending out the non-specified Pokémon in the job listing will mean they get less EXP. The more gyms you beat, the more Pokémon you can send and the more jobs you receive. It’s a funny way of growing Pokémon you aren’t using, but it’s worthwhile all the same.
Talk To Everyone
The NPCs in Pokémon Sword and Shield don’t offer a tonne of intelligence when you speak to them, but it’s worthwhile to do it all the same, especially in the early game when they just throw free items at you. If you talk to some random dude in Motostoke, for instance, he will give you Hi-tech Earbuds that will allow you to customise the volume of certain things, such as Pokémon cries.
Battle The Cafe Master
Further adding to the case of Pokémon Sword and Shield being a bit of a weird one, you can battle the Cafe Master in cafes in towns to earn yourself a free item every day. These are some very easy battles that will not only give you a free item, but also a generous amount of Pokédollars and XP. We just wish we could fight Costa for the same kind of thing in real life.
Stylin’ and Profilin’
Not necessarily a Pokémon Sword and Shield tip that will make you better at the game, but one that will instead help you to customise your Trainer as you see fit. You can find plenty of Boutiques throughout the major towns to change your clothing, as well as Hair Salons to give yourself a fresh do. Remarkably, these are some of the most expensive things your Pokédollars can buy, so make sure you have a fat wallet if you want a trim.
Pokémon Sword and Shield are available now on Nintendo Switch.
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