The Crown Tundra is a large expansion for Pokémon Sword & Shield with a focus on legendary nostalgia. The iconic trio from the first generation of Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres have made the biggest splash with their Galarian forms. After arriving in the snowy lands and getting a lead from ex-gym leader Peony, you can discover this iconic trio’s new forms. When you discover the great tree at the edge of the Tundra, the birds will introduce themselves to you before running off into the wild. Check your clues for where they dwell and get ready for adventure.
After you get an idea of their location, prepare to chase them down. Zapdos roams around the original Wild Area, Articuno flies about the mountains in the Crown Tundra and Moltres flies everywhere around the Island of Armor. They are roaming Pokémon and while it may not be as punishing as previous titles with monsters that dwell randomly around the world, catching them is no walk in the park. Be sure you have a Pokémon who can inflict sleep or paralysis against these birds, you’ll need it.
Articuno
The easiest way to catch Articuno is to fly to the Watt Merchant at Snowslide Slope. If you continue to fly repeatedly to the location, Articuno will eventually appear when the game loads back in. When it does, it will fly towards the top of the mountain, prompting you to give chase.
The exact landing location of this Pokémon is past the ruins near some dead trees, where a patch of grass off to the left leads to a ridge. Beating Articuno will result in it attacking you but if it beats you it will use Double Team and retreat if you pick the wrong one. If it does you will have to repeat this process, so do your best to beat it to the punch.
Zapdos
The best way to find Zapdos is to fly to either East Lake Axwell in the Wild Area or Motostoke. Flying to Motostoke and exiting into the Wild Area may result in the land-bound bird Pokémon being right in front of you as you enter it, so be prepared to give chase if this happens. If not, Zapdos can usually be found near the Watchtower ruins where it will dash away if it sees you.
Watch its movements and try to cut off Zapdos when you see a predictable turn, as it will cause the bird to tire out, making it easier to catch up to. It will eventually tire regardless but getting closer makes the process faster.
Moltres
Moltres is the toughest bird to pin down if you don’t know how to approach it. The best way to do this is to fly to the Challenge Tower on the Island of Armor and then make your way to Loop Lagoon from there. Moltres has the highest chance of flying through here on spawn, so get there as fast you can and get ready to intercept it.
Moltres is the fastest moving of the bunch and will fly around the Island on a set path that moves through nearly the entire thing, but will stop to attack you if you get too close.
After finding and catching these birds, report back to Peony and he will mark your quest complete. Please note that these Pokémon are shiny locked, which means you cannot encounter their alternate color forms. Even so, these legendary birds are incredibly powerful members for any team. Be sure to check out the Dynamax Adventures for the original forms of these iconic Pokémon as well.
Pokémon Sword & Shield is available now for Nintendo Switch.
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