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Pokemon Sword and Shield
Beginner Tips & Guides
★ Tier List / Doubles Tier List / Movesets / Rental Teams
✬ Pokemon HOME Dex Completion Shiny Rewards:
┗ Meloetta | Manaphy | Enamorus | Keldeo | Meltan
☆ Competitive Battle Guide
This page is a page for beginners who are new to Pokemon. Here you will find explanations of game mechanics and other game features. Getting stuck in Pokemon Sword and Shield? Read on to find our tips and guides for beginners!
List of Contents
- Getting a Good Start
- How to Adjust Screen Size
- Galar Starters
- Which Starter Should You Choose?
- How to Get All 3 Starters
- Change Your Appearance
- How to Change Your Appearance
- How to Change Your Uniform
- Pokemon Battles
- Type Effectiveness and Damage Output
- Fishing for Pokemon
- How to Run Away
- Building the Best Team
- How to Build the Best Team
- Training Like a Pro!
- Catching Legendary Pokemon
- Your Pokemon
- How to Stop Evolutions
- How to Release Pokemon
- How to Get More PC Boxes
- Online Features
- How to Add Friends
- How to Play Ranked Battle
- How to Get and Use the Y-Comm
- How to Battle and Trade with Friends
- Pokemon Camp
- Pokemon Camp with Your Friends
- How to Get Toys
- How to Make Best Curry
- Useful Information
- Things to Do Every Day
- Useful Characters and Their Locations
- Unrepeatable One-time Events
- Get Money (Poke Dollars) Fast!
- What's New in Sword and Shield
- Differences Between Dynamax and Gigantamax
- Accessing Boxes on the Road
- How to Get Sweets
- Removed Features
- Other Useful Guides
- Pokemon Sword and Shield Related Links
Getting a Good Start
Whether you are new to the game or a veteran Pokemon player, you will need some recommendations on how to make decisions at the beginning of the game as most of these will make a huge impact on the entirety of your Pokemon adventure.
Fortunately, you can check the link below for a guide on having a good start!
Things to Know Before Starting Pokemon
How to Adjust Screen Size
There is no in-game method to adjust the screen size; however, a setting is available through the Nintendo Switch home menu.
How to Adjust Screen Size
Galar Starters
Which Starter Should You Choose?
The very first question every trainer is faced with when beginning their journey... Fire, water, or grass? While each Pokemon has its strengths and weaknesses, no one can deny that not all starters are equal!
Which Starter Should You Choose
How to Get All 3 Starters
Maybe you decided that it was too hard to choose between those three adorable little Pokemon, so now you want them all. Well, you are in luck, as this guide will show you the quickest way to get all three starters in this game.
How to Get All Starters
Change Your Appearance
How to Change Your Appearance
Galar is home to tons of Boutiques and Salons, allowing you to change your look and outfit on a whim! Find out how you can become a trend setter in Galar.
How to Change Your Appearance
How to Change Your Uniform
A variety of Uniforms are available for your character to wear, and you can even mix and match parts of them to match your outfit! Represent your favorite Pokemon type!
How to Change Your Uniform
Pokemon Battles
Type Effectiveness and Damage Output
Whether you are new or a returning fan to the series, there are likely a couple type affinities that you do not have memorized. If you are still after all these years not sure how to beat Fairy-type Pokemon, see the link below!
Type Effectiveness and Damage Output
Fishing for Pokemon
Fishing is another way of encountering wild Pokemon that might be a perfect addition to your team. Check out the link below for more information about Fishing and what you can get from it!
How to Fish and Battle Water-Type Pokemon
How to Run Away
Everybody at some point or another has run away from a fight. There is no shame in it! If you would like to know how to run away, and what factors play into this mechanic, see the link below!
How to Run Away
Building the Best Team
How to Build the Best Team
As your roster of Pokes expands, you are going to have to make some cuts to your team in order to cover your bases. But how can you decide? See the link below to find out!
Building the Best Team
Training Like a Pro!
Now you have gotten your starter, and you know where its strength lies. But the question moving forward is how to train the best Pokemon possible. Read on to find out how!
Train Pokemon Like a Pro
Catching Legendary Pokemon
At every point in a trainer's journey, they must encounter a Legendary Pokemon, and if they are wise, they will want to capture it. See our guide on legendaries to learn which Pokemon you can obtain and how to get them!
Catching Legendary Pokemon
Your Pokemon
How to Stop Evolutions
Stopping an evolution of a Pokemon can help them learn moves at a lower level than when evolved.
How to Stop Evolutions
How to Release Pokemon
Sometimes you need to let Pokemon go for reasons, like making space for your storage boxes. Just remember that when you release Pokemon, you can not get it back!
How to Release Pokemon
How to Get More PC Boxes
Increase the number of PC Boxes for storing your Pokemon in Pokemon Sword and Shield.
How to Get More PC Boxes
Online Features
How to Add Friends
Pokemon Sword and Shield has no friends feature within the game itself, but you can use your Nintendo Switch Profile to add friends, which can be accessed indirectly within Pokemon Sword and Shield's Y-Comm feature.
How to Add Friends
How to Play Ranked Battle
Battle in single or double battles with other Trainers all around the world, and make your way to the top. See our guide to learn how to play Ranked Battle!
How to Play Ranked Battle
Rules of Ranked Battle and Legal Pokemon
Not sure of which Pokemon are available to use in Ranked Battle? Want to see if your Gigantamax Pokemon is fair to play? Learn all the detailed rules and legal Pokemon for the current series of Ranked Battle!
Ranked Battle Rules and Eligible Pokemon
How to Get and Use the Y-Comm
The Y-Comm is an optional feature that lets you connect with other Trainers locally or online. Learn how to get the Y-Comm to unlock more in-game features.
How to Get and Use the Y-Comm
How to Battle and Trade with Friends
The game is more fun with your friends! Learn how to do Link Trades and Link Battles in our guide.
How to Battle and Trade with Friends
Pokemon Camp
Pokemon Camp with Your Friends
Play with your Pokemon and visit other trainers' camps in this new feature. Bond with your Pokemon and receive EXP points and raise your friendship level with them!
How to Pokemon Camp with Friends
How to Get Toys
Collect toys to play with your Pokemon at your camp! Fill up your Curry Dex get them rated by the Camping King, and collect all the toys!
How to Get Toys
How to Make Best Curry
Making the best curry will give your Pokemon Exp Points and increase their happiness.
How to Make Best Curry
Useful Information
Get Money (Poke Dollars) Fast!
Held items, Pokemon moves--there are a lot of ways to get money fast! See our guide on tips and tricks and earn those Poke Dollars.
How to Get Money (Poke Dollars) Fast
Things to Do Every Day
Want to take a break from the usual routine? Go around Galar and check out shops and areas that refresh daily.
Things to Do Every Day
Useful Characters and Their Locations
From free items, to Pokemon trades, to Move Tutors, this guide's got everything you need to meet helpful NPCs around the world of the game!
Useful Characters and Their Locations
Unrepeatable One-time Events
Surely you do not want to mess your Pokemon experience by making the wrong decision.
See the list of unrepeatable one-time events in the game Sword and Shield and make the choices that matter!
List of Unrepeatable One-time Events
List of All Mystery Gift Codes
Do not miss the chance to receive time-limited gifts available in the game.
See our up-to-date list of Mystery Gift Codes.
List of All Mystery Gift Codes
What's New in Sword and Shield
Differences Between Dynamax and Gigantamax
Don't get confused! Dynamax and Gigantamax are similar, but have their differences. All Pokemon in the Galar region are capable of Dynamaxing, but only a selected few have Gigantamax forms. See the link below to learn more.
Differences Between Dynamax and Gigantamax
Accessing Boxes on the Road
For the first time in the series, players can access their Pokemon Box anywhere to instantly switch out their party! Take advantage of this to handle a variety of situations.
Access Pokemon Boxes on the Road
How to Get Sweets
Sweets are a new kind of Evolutionary Held Items used to evolve Milcery to Alcremie.
Alcremie has over 50 forms in the game, and the Sweet given to it will determine its head decoration and eye color!
How to Get Sweets
Removed Features
Sword and Shield have new features, but there are also old features in the Pokemon series that aren't present in the game. Read on to learn more.
Removed Features
Other Useful Guides
Pokemon Sword and Shield Related Links
Author
Beginner Tips & Guides
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