Walkthrough:The Crown Tundra/Part 7
Galarian Star Tournament
The first time you leave the Max Lair after starting the They Came From The Ultra Beyond! Quest, you’ll receive a phone call from someone you don’t immediately recognise. It’s Leon, and he’s not just putting in a social call, because he has a favor to ask of you. He requests for you to meet him at Wyndon Stadium to get all the details, so hop in a flying taxi and make your way there.
Leon, true to his word, is waiting for you in the foyer of Wyndon Stadium. The two of you head to the arena, where all of the Gym Leaders, as well as Hop, Marnie, and Klara/Avery are already hanging around. After some small talk Leon begins to explain why he summoned everyone here - the brand new Galarian Star Tournament! The Galarian Star Tournament takes place in a Multi Battle format, where each trainer will pair up with a friend or colleague before battling their way to the top, emphasizing the need for collaboration and friendship.
You’ll be returned to the foyer, where all the Gym Leaders are hanging around, and tasked with finding a partner. Your choice isn’t as free as it seems, as most of them already have a partner, or would rather battle against you than alongside you. There are two trainers who would be happy to team up however - your longtime friends and rivals, Hop and Marnie. Hop will use his Dubwool, the box Legendary Pokémon, and his first partner, while Marnie’s team has Morpeko, Scrafty, and Grimmsnarl. Partner with the trainer of your choosing, then register at the front desk, before heading to the locker room when you’re ready.
Partner Teams
Hop
Pokémon Sword
Pokémon Shield
Marnie
Round One
Your first opponents will be the team of Milo and Nessa, the first two Gym Leaders we fought at the start of our adventure. Dynamxing and Gigantamaxing alternates every turn for which trainer on each team has the ability to Dynamax, and as soon as either opponent is down to their final Pokémon and has the ability to Dynamax they will do so. This applies for your partner too - if they are down to their final Pokémon and it is their turn, they will opt to Gigantamax it. This does mean it is possible to target your opposition in such a way that they are never able to Dynamax, making the battle easier to deal with.
Milo and Nessa make a good pairing, with their Grass-type and Water-type Pokémon covering each other’s weaknesses well. A good strategy could be to target down one side specifically, as each trainer can only draw from their own set of Pokémon, leaving you with a two-on-one advantage later in the battle. Milo’s lead carries Fake Out, so you could utilize an X item to take advantage of the potential flinch, or lead a Pokémon with Inner Focus or a Ghost-type to avoid the flinch chance entirely. Nessa’s team is more frustrating to deal with, with Golisopod able to deal high damage after Swords Dance, and her Toxapex able to slow down the battle with Baneful Bunker and Recover, so focusing your attentions on Milo first to allow you to double Nessa’s half of the field later seems prudent. As you can still take in your full team of six, while every other trainer is limited to only three, and you can use items to heal if necessary, you should come through relatively unscathed.
Pokémon Sword
Pokémon Shield
Round Two
Your second battle has you face off against the version-exclusive Gym Leaders - you’ll take on Bea and Gordie on Sword, while Allister and Melony are your opponents on Shield. Your strategy here will vary heavily depending on which version you’re playing.
Pokémon Sword
On Sword, while Shuckle seems unthreatening, taking it out as quickly as possible should be a priority. With its ability to set entry hazards via Stealth Rock and Sticky Web before slowing you down with Rock Tomb, it serves as a great way to soften you up for their heavy hitters awaiting in the back. Carrying some weather control is also advisable, with Tyranitar’s Sand Stream ability adding some residual damage, as well as giving Gordie’s Pokémon a boost to their special defense. All six Pokémon on Sword are physical attackers, so using Pokémon with high defense stats, potentially boosted further with Reflect, helps reduce damage, as will inflicting your opposition with a burn (Coalossal excluded, as a Fire-type).
Pokémoin Shield
If you’re playing Shield, Melony’s team is very offensive, so while Allister can be frustrating with Disable on Dusknoir and Strength Sap from Cursola, ignoring the Ice-type feels risky with Mr. Rime’s capacity to set up Nasty Plot and sweep, while Darmanitan also deals heavy damage. Take advantage of Ice-type’s many weaknesses to clear that side of the battle, trying to time it so Lapras never gets the chance to Gigantamax, which gives a huge HP boost to its already enviable bulk.
Final Round
With the first two rounds successfully navigated, there’s only the final left to go - the opponents awaiting you there depend on who you chose as your partner. If you picked Hop, you’ll match up against the team of the former champion, and mastermind of the Galarian Star Tournament, Leon, and his great friend and rival Raihan, while if you’re alongside Marnie instead of Leon you’ll face her brother Piers, the former Spikemuth Gym Leader. So you’ll face your partner’s brother in the final, regardless of whether you choose Hop or Marnie.
Partnered with Hop
Leon is definitely the toughest opponent in the tournament - all three of his Pokémon can deal serious damage, although Sacred Sword on Aegislash is the only physical attack he carries, so a Pokémon with high special defense stat does well, as will setting up Light Screen to bolster that, or using a move like Snarl or Eerie Impulse that will drop special attack. Carrying Ice-type coverage is useful in dispatching Raihan’s side of the field, although Goodra’s naturally high special defense makes a one shot unreliable regardless.
Partnered with Marnie
This battle is definitely easier if you’re with Marnie, as Piers’ team is not as high a level as Leon’s, lacks the type diversity, is not as generally offensive, and Piers, as ever, refuses to Dynamax. Having said that, his Skuntank in the lead is still rather annoying, with Toxic for residual damage, Screech to drop your defense two stages, and Snarl to lower your and your partner’s special attack, so taking it out early is not a bad idea. Piers also helpfully points out when the battle begins that both Dark-type and Dragon-type Pokémon share a Fairy-type weakness, although thanks to their other types Skuntank and Duraludon are neutral against Fairy-type attacks, while Toxtricity resists them.
After your victory in the final, you, your partner, and Leon (as the founder of the Galarian Star Tournament) lap up the plaudits from the crowd, before Leon makes the announcement that the tournament is here to stay. From now on, you can start the tournament again, with a wider range of partners, and the teams of trainers you play against will be shuffled as well. All that’s left is for The Maximizers to play you off, as the credits roll again, and your adventure in Galar is complete.
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This article is part of Project Walkthroughs, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive step-by-step guides on each Pokémon game. |