Crown Tundra: How To Catch Legendary Pokemon In Dynamax Adventures

Pokemon Sword and Shield's Crown Tundra DLC introduces a ton of new and returning Legendary Pokemon to the Galar region. While some of these Legendaries--such as Galarian Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres--are encountered through the main story, most can only be found lurking within the Max Lair, where you and three other trainers can embark on Dynamax Adventures together.

Dynamax Adventures are a new type of cooperative Raid mode in Sword and Shield, and they're much tougher than typical Max Raids, forcing you to battle a series of Dynamaxed Pokemon before you have a chance to catch a Legendary. Here's what you need to know about Dynamax Adventures and how to catch Legendary Pokemon in Sword and Shield's new DLC.

Dynamax Adventures

The main way to catch Legendary Pokemon in The Crown Tundra is through the new Dynamax Adventures feature. During a Dynamax Adventure, you team up with three other players (or NPCs) to "enter" the Max Lair and battle a series of Pokemon before finally facing a Legendary. You aren't actually going into the lair the way you would a cave in previous Pokemon games; it's more of an overall map of the lair with branching pathways, and you can see what lies ahead. The strategy is in planning out which way you'll go so you can survive long enough to face the Legendary Pokemon at the end.

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You have to do this all with randomly generated rental Pokemon rather than a Pokemon from your own collection, and you don't get to heal that Pokemon between battles. When you defeat a Pokemon along the way, you'll have the option to switch it in for the one you're using. You have to choose pathways that will bring you to a Pokemon you think you can defeat--you'll be able to see the Pokemon's silhouette and type before choosing a path--while taking into account what comes after that and whether you should swap your rental Pokemon.

To embark on a Dynamax Adventure, head into the Max Lair (just outside of the Crown Tundra station) and speak to the scientist standing in front of the lair's entrance. After you agree to embark on an Adventure, your game will be saved and you'll have the option to either invite other players or go it alone with three NPCs, just as in a typical Max Raid battle. Each player will then be presented a list of possible rental Pokemon to take along.

How To Catch Legendary Pokemon

After battling three Dynamaxed Pokemon, you'll then encounter the Legendary waiting at the end of the lair. You'll also face this monster in a Max Raid battle, and if you defeat it, you then get to catch and keep it. If your team does successfully manage to take the Legendary down, you're each guaranteed to catch it, so you can use any type of Poke Ball you'd like.

If you're defeated before you reach the Legendary, the good news is that you can start over and try again. Likewise, if you do reach the Legendary but fail to defeat it (whether because your squad's Pokemon have been knocked out four times or the battle runs for longer than 10 turns), you'll have the option to attempt that specific Legendary again--but you'll need to fight your way through three other Dynamaxed Pokemon again first.

Typically, the Legendary Pokemon you encounter at the end of the Max Lair will be determined randomly before you set off on a Dynamax Adventure, but you'll have a chance to encounter specific ones. After you've reached a certain point in the DLC, Peony's daughter Peonia will tell you she's determined the location of a specific Legendary, and you can pay five Dynite Ores to have that Pokemon wait at the end of your next Dynamax Adventure.

New Legendary Pokemon

As previously mentioned, the Max Lair primarily contains returning Legendary Pokemon; the new ones can be encountered through The Crown Tundra's main story, which sends you off around the region to investigate numerous Pokemon legends. If you need help with those, we've put together guides on how to reunite Calyrex with its loyal steed, how to catch Regieleki and Regidrago, and where to find Galarian Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.

In addition to Dynamax Adventures and the new Legendary Pokemon, The Crown Tundra also adds a new post-game activity: the Galarian Star Tournament. Unlocked after you've completed the main game as well as both DLCs' stories, the Galarian Star Tournament pits you and an NPC partner of your choosing (like Hop) against other pairs of Sword and Shield's Gym Leaders and trainers. You can read more about this and other features in our Crown Tundra roundup.