Pokemon Sword and Shield Crown Tundra DLC is a dream for...

Inspired by the dramatic landscapes of Scotland, the upcoming DLC ​​Pokemon Sword and Shield Crown Tundra feels almost cleansing. As soon as you step out of the train station, you will encounter a winter wonderland of pine trees and gently falling snowflakes, unlike anything we have experienced in the Galar region so far. You’ll find tons of different locations throughout the Crown Tundra region, but it’s this wintry wilderness and locations that feel like the defining feature of this second expansion for Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Pokemon DLC without colorful characters and brand new Pokemon, and the Crown Tundra won’t let you down. The Crown Tundra story has a variety of themes, but the most intriguing one is the goal of learning more about the Pokémon known as the King of Abundant Harvests – also known as the big-headed psychic rabbit, Calyrex. Locals consider this Pokémon a fairy tale, but the trip to the Crown Tundra that you are about to take will quickly prove that the stories contain more truth than they can ever imagine.

To learn more about this legendary Pokémon, partner with the Peony Expedition Team, a father-daughter duo that are clearly delving into some teenage family issues. Not quite the oddities of the Isle of Armor cast, but there are definitely some interesting people meeting up in the Crown Tundra on October 23rd when the DLC hits.

Legendary tree of the legendary three

Another part of the Crown Tundra story is about the Galarian versions of the original trilogy of legendary Pokémon – Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos. All three birds are a design change from their original appearance, and honestly, I live for the Galarian Articuno sass, which looks like it could be the newest member of an emo band or an Avengers reject. Prepare to find the legendary three of the legendary tree! * Cue dramatic music *

It looks like you can battle and catch all three of these new legendary Galarian birds and add them to the expanded Pokedex that you get when you launch the Crown Tundra DLC. It will be interesting to see how different their movesets and types are when we actually deal with these new but ultimately familiar enemies.

“Thanks to the new Dynamax Adventures feature, you can team up with up to three other adventurers to reach the new Max Lairs.”

But that’s not all when it comes to legendary Pokémon in Crown Tundra. Thanks to the new Dynamax Adventures feature, you can team up with up to three other adventurers to reach the new Max Lairs, where even more legendary Pokémon from previous generations lurk. For these Dynamax adventures, you’re effectively borrowing a Pokemon from a list you’d like to use – rather than one from your own group – and then working your way through a branching system that you go through by looking for different paths between your group of agree four. Through the network of tunnels, you will meet other Dynamax Pokémon to fight in the usual cave style. However, if you complete them successfully, you will have the option to swap them out for the Pokémon you are currently using.

However, since everything is random and voting based, if more than one of you votes to keep the newly caught Pokémon, the game will be randomly assigned to one of the voters. This can be a problem as there is no way to heal your Pokémon or reverse status effects between fights – unless you happen to run into a friendly NPC to assist you on your route. What helps, however, is that you can see the silhouette and type of Dynamax Pokemon choices. This means that you have to strategically consider between the four of you which route is best for your group. Of course, these Dynamax adventures are going to be pretty tricky, but with the ultimate Legendary Pokémon reward, it’s well worth the hassle.

Be the best

Interestingly, there are more rewards for those of us who have been playing Pokemon Sword and Shield since its launch and who consider ourselves master Pokemon trainers. Thanks to the Crown Tundra DLC, there is a new Galarian Star tournament that you can take part in. Anyone who has become a Galar Champion and has completed both DLC packs can compete here and team up with other coaches and sports directors for the ultimate dream team combo. These will be intense multi-Pokemon battles that will be the greatest test your group has had to pass so far and will reveal some interesting new elements to the characters you have met on your journeys through Galar.

This is definitely a reward for those who have stuck with the sword and shield and immersed themselves in the expansion pass. It seems there is enough here for those who have stayed loyal to the game since its release late last year and are looking forward to discovering more of its world. The stories here already seem stronger than the Isle of Armor’s, and with added challenges, being a Pokemon trainer is sure to be an exciting time.

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The Crown Tundra DLC arrives October 23rd exclusively on Nintendo Switch for Pokemon Sword and Shield.