In the previous generation, Pokémon Sun & Moon did things a little differently. The standard gym challenge was replaced by the Island Challenge, which saw trainers completing tasks across Alola that were quite different from the standard gym matches. Despite this, the main story ended as it always has: a climactic battle against the region’s cha🃏mpion (✤complete with fantastic music).
In 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokémon Sword & Shield, there’s another new type of test awaiting the player: the Champion Cup. This concept lends an intriguing tournament twist to the Elite 4 idea, in which 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:all of the Gym Leaders and the best challengers face off. The chance of battling and dethroning Leon himself is on the line here, so if you’re feeling a little intimidated, here are some C🍬hampion Cup tips you should find helpful.
10 Make Sure🃏 That You Have A Well-Rounded Team
Now, you might be thinking that this is just 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokémon battling 101. After all, the crux of combat in the Pokémon series lies in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:taking advantage of the type chart to deal out super effective attacks (and ensure that your Grass-type isn’t blasted into the next Ice Age by 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:powerful Ice-type moves in return).
However, when it comes to the 🍃Champion Cup, you’ll be facing the Gym Leaders, each a master of a different Pokémon type, in rapid succession. This time, their teams are much stronger, featuring new Pokémon with different secondary typings to (somewhat) cover their weaknesses. Dynamaxing a Fire-type and blasting through Milo’s Grass Pokémon is one thing, but with the ♋range of opponents coming your way, you’ll need to be as well-rounded as possible.
9 🐠 K꧋eep Your Opponents’ Levels In Mind
As in any RPG, experience levels are central to the experience. Some players like to grind and be a🌱s overpowered as possible, while others opt for low-level runs to really push themselves to the limit. Most lie somewhere in between, though, so the levels of your Champion Cup opponents shouldn’t be too far🍸 from your own.
The Pokémon that the Gym Leaders and other opponents bring to the tournament will be level 55 or so. Leon, meanwhile, is around level 60-65. With the generous way that Sword & Shield distribute experience to your party, you should be a little ahead of the curve here, through standard play. Though, as we’ll see later, there are some 𒆙super helpful items that can get you out of trouble if you do struggle.
8 Know Exactly Whi💦ch Opponents You’re Going To Be Fighting ✃
Typically, as we’ve mentioned, the final challenge of a Pokémon game’s main story consists of defeating the Elite 4 followe🎐d by the Champion. By contrast, the Champion Cup sounds like a bit more of a slog, but with this being a tournament, you don’t have to fight everybody.
If you don’t want to know the exact opponents you’ll face (and order you’ll face them) in the Champion Cup, look away now. If you do, here it is: Marnie comes first (havin🧸g taken Piers’ 🌟place as leader of Spikemuth’s Dark-type gym), followeꦡd by Hop. You’re then interrupted by Bede (now the Fairy-type specialist in Opal’s place). After this, the Finals consist of a match with Nessa, followed by either Bea’s Fighting-types or Allister’s Ghost-types. After that, it’s just Raihan the Dragon-type user who stands between the player and a match against Leon.
7 Remember That You Can Leave, Train, Take A Break Etc.✨ At Any Time ꦍ
With the way that the Champion Cup drops you in the locker room right outside the door of th✃e stadium after every match, it would be easy to assume that you have to see the whole thing through in a single sitting. This was the way with previous Elite 4 challenges, afte👍r all.
Interestingly, though, this isn’t the case. At any time between matches, the player is free to leave the stadium, leave🌠 the city entirely, and take care of other Poké-business they may have elsewhere. After 🦹doing so, you can pick up right where you left off with your next match. Very handy.
6 🎀Pick Your Dynamax/Gigantamax Pokémon Carefully In 🌠Each Match
Generally, eacಌh opponent’s ace Pokémon will be the same as in the player’s original battle with them. Much stronger, of course, but Nessa will be Gigantamaxing her ♛Drednaw just as she did before. With this knowledge in mind, players will (hopefully) be able to counter each opponent’s biggest threat.
With the Dynamax and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Gigantamax mechanic🌃s, though, you’ll also have to choose your own Pokémon and moment very carefully. You’ve only got three turns to make use of, so (using the Nessa example) simply Dynamaxing an Electric-type and going to town on your Water-type foes isn’t always enough. Nessa’s Quagsire is immune to Electric moves, which ca♕n immediately waste your few powered-up turns. Keep match-ups in mind and consider the current situation, lest you throw away your most powerful asset.
5 ꦚ Be Ready For Their Dynamax O🅘r Gigantamax Too
In standarಞd competitive battles, the whole suddenly-growing-50-feet-taller thing is the biggest shake-up that Generation VIII introduced. While some Mega Evolutions (such as the mighty Kangaskhan) were immediately predictable from team preview, the opponent can never be sure which Pokémon will transform and when.
The major advantage here is that your CPU opponents are scripted to Dynamax or Gigantamax a particular Pokémon immediately on sending it out. Marnie’s Grimmsnarl, Nessa’s Drednaw, and Bede’s Hatterene are all coming for the player, among othe🌌rs, so make use of the shift option in the me🍸nu and switch to your best counter immediately when you see them being sent out.
4 Speedy Setup Can Make Things So Much Easier 🔥 🌃
Needless to say, competitive battles against experienced players and in-game matches versus the Champion Cup trainers are two completely different beasts. Nevertheless, some fundamental truths of Pokémon play most dꦉefinitely carry over. Here are three of them: Speed is crucial, setup is deadly, and super effective moves aren’t everything.
Some players undeඣrestimate just how much bulkier Pokémon are in their Dynamax/Gigantamax forms. The huge buff to their HP really helps survivability, meaning that a speedster able to transform and get off a safe Swords Dance/Dragon Dance/Nasty Plot or the like can easily blast through a foe’s team that’s neutral to its attacks.
3 Watch Out For Raihan; He’s Tricky In More Ways Than One 𒉰 ൩
Experienced Pokémon players probably received quite a surprise when they took on Raihan’s gym in Hammerlocke. The battles therein adopted the do✃ubles format, complete with weather effects. It was strangely VGC-like, a nice nod from Game Freak to the competitive scene.
For the Champion Cup, his battle reverts to the singles format, aಌnd his team is more predominantly Dragon-based. However, it still features every weather effect (bar hail), in the form of Sandstorm Flygon, Rain Dance Goodra, Sunny Day Turtonator, and a Torkoal! His final team member is Duraludon, which is immune to sandstorm damage. Talk about a box of tricks!
2 Exp. Can𒁏dies Are Invaluable If You Get Stuck
For younger or inexperienced players, the Champion Cup can be a steep challenge. You’ve o💟nly got so many teamslots after all, and if you’ve been doubling up on types, certain opponents’ teams can be very tough to take down.
If you’ve got the ideal Pokémon in your box to sub in to help with that, but you’ve haven’t leveled them up enough, don’t forget about one of Sword & Shield’s most convenient new additions: Exp. Candies. Depending on the number of them you have, you could give your Pokémon get a huge♈ edge. No need for time-consum🅠ing grinding, either!
1 Don🍰’t💃 Worry If You Found It Too Easy, There’s More!
Conversely, maybe you’re an old hand and you blasted through the Champion Cup with no issues at all. If that’s the case, you’re in luck: you can return to challenge everybody again, custom𝐆izing the opponents to your liking.
Returning to Wyndon Stadium in the post-game, the player can join a Champion tournament. A variety of Gym Leaders and special trainers will appear, at slight🐎ly higher levels than before (Leon and Hop’s Pokémon are now around level 70). You can repeat this tournament, winning a different prize item for victory each time. Try it out if you haven’t already!