TemTem screenshot showing a grassy field with various different monsters facing off against each other.

TemTem Battle Guide

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Published: June 4, 2023 9:43 AM

In the world of Temtem, battling other tamers with the titular creatures is the meat and potatoes of the game. Being highly inspired by the Pokemon games, it's not too surprising to see that many systems in Temtem are similar to the granddaddy of monster-collecting games. However, even if you're a Pokemon veteran, slight differences in the battle system can throw you off guard if you aren't aware of them. In our guide to Temtem battles, we'll teach you how battling works in the world of Temtem.


Temtem Battle Guide - Types of Battles

A 2v1 Battle against an untamed Temtem.

In Pokemon, 2v2 battles were first introduced in the third generation games (Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald) and often are restricted to certain areas or trainers. However, 2v2 battles are generally the norm in Temtem. When fighting against NPC tamers, battles will always have two Temtem on each side. Battles against untamed Temtem, however, can have you fighting one or two. Finally, PvP battles allow you to engage in 1v1 battles. When fighting PVP, you'll use a pick and ban system, where each side chooses 10 Temtem and takes turns picking which ones they'll use and which ones their opponent can't choose.

Also worth noting is what happens if you're playing co-op with a friend against NPC opponents. When this happens, you and your friend both send out a representative, and each player controls theirs individually. Instead of having access to your full roster of up to six Temtem, each player can only use their first three. If you feel like letting your friend take the wheel, you can switch out one of your creatures with one of your friend's Temtem. You'll then just hang around until your friend chooses to switch out one of their Temtem with one on your team.

Temtem Battle Guide - Temtem Stats

The stats for a Temtem

Every Temtem you find has eight different stats that determine how powerful it is. If you've played Pokemon before, almost every one of these stats should be familiar. They are:

  • HP: A Temtem's maximum health.
  • SP: A Temtem's maximum stamina, which is used to use techniques in battle.
  • SPD: Determines how quick your Temtem acts in battle.
  • ATK: Shows how hard your Temtem's Physical techniques hit.
  • DEF: Represents how well your Temtem takes damage from enemy Physical techniques.
  • SPATK: Like ATK, but for Special techniques.
  • SPDEF: It's DEF, but for Special techniques.

These stats will increase as your Temtem fight and gain levels. There are also two statistics, shown in the middle and right column on the stat screen above, that determine how fast Temtem's main stats rise:

  • SVs: Single Values are a statitic that's set from 1-50 when you obtain a Temtem. Having a higher SV for a stat means it'll increase quicker. There's no way (yet) to change this value after you capture a Temtem, so you may need to catch multiple copies to find one that has the best SVs.
  • TVs: Trainied Values are increased by fighting certain Temtem. Every time one of your Temtem beat another, they gain some TVs based on the species they defeated. The more TVs you get in a stat, the faster it'll rise. You can have a maximum of 1,000 TVs total, with a maximum of 500 in a single stat. This means you can either focus on two stats or spread out your TV gains.

Temtem Battle Guide - Making Your Move

A closer look at the anatomy of a move.

The basic move system in Temtem is very similar to Pokemon. Each creature can learn up to four techniques that have a variety of effects and types. Every technique has one of three effects. Physical techniques, represented by a star, deal damage depending on your Temtem's ATK and the opponent's DEF. Special techniques, represented by a starburst like above, are like physical techniques but use SPATK and SPDEF to determine damage. Status techniques, which are represented by a swirl, don't deal damage but cause a variety of effects. Also, there are some key differences that are worth noting:

  • SP: Instead of using a PP system (moves have a limited number of uses that can be restored at a Pokemon Center), Temtem use stamina points (SP) for techniques. While you can spend more SP than you have, doing so will hurt your Temtem from overexertion and prevent them from using a technique the next turn. Temtem recover a bit of SP every turn, but you can regain more by skipping your turn. You can do this by clicking the blue button with the clock on it.
  • Hold: Some moves have a cool-down or warm-up period known as Hold. In the picture above, you can see that Shrill Voice, a move that hits both enemies, has two pips in the upper-left corner of the box, one of which is grayed out. That move can't be used at the beginning of the battle and requires that Temtem spend a turn doing something else on the field before it can use it. After using it, you have to wait another turn before using it again.
  • Priority: If you've played Pokemon, you might know how certain moves like Quick Attack always go first. There's a similar system in Temtem. Priority, represented by the yellow arrows below the damage and stamina cost, acts as a modifier to a Temtem's speed when determining who acts first. Wind Blade, as seen above, has a normal priority modifier, which means there's no boost or penalty. Lower Priority will half your effective speed, while higher Priority can boost it by 1.5 or 1.75 times.

An example of a technique with synergy in Temtem.

  • Synergy: Some moves in the game have a synergy boost if a Temtem's ally is a certain type. For an early example, the cocoon Temtem Swali can learn a technique called Urushiol. The move normally has no special effects outside of damaging an opponent. However, if there's a Toxic-type ally out on the field, the move will also inflict Poison for four turns. 

Temtem Battle Guide - Know Your Types

The type chart for Temtem

Temtem features twelve different types that apply to both the creatures and the techniques they use. Certain types take more or less damage against moves that have certain types. Weaknesses and resistances stack, so some moves can deal 4x damage, 0.25x damage, or normal damage if one resists and the other is weak. Knowing which types of techniques to use against your opponent's Temtem is key to claiming victory. If you've caught a Temtem before, you can quickly see if a move will be better or worse against it by choosing the move and mousing over your target. The white circle that signifies your target will instead be green or red if your move is at a type advantage or disadvantage.

Temtem Battle Guide - What's Your Condition?

A Temtem being afflicted with Poison.

Status conditions are a big consideration when fighting in Temtem. There are a wide variety of conditions that can make or break your battles. A Temtem can have only two conditions at a time. Attempting to add a third one will result in the oldest active one being removed. You can't remove conditions by swapping out, and they'll persist after combat, so be careful about getting into another battle when you've just finished one. The conditions are:

  • Stat modification: Not officially a status condition (and thus not subject to the two condition limit), but it's worth mentioning. Boosts or decreases a certain stat. Stat changes work on a sliding scale of -4 to +4. If the baseline is 3/3 (representing the base 100%), lowering a stat increases the denominator (3/4 or 75%) while raising it increases the numerator (4/3 or 133%.) The minimum can go to 3/7 (42%) while the maximum can reach 7/3 (233%).
  • Cold & Frozen: Cold does nothing on its own, but if a Cold Temtem is afflicted with Cold again, it'll become frozen. Frozen creatures can't act. Cold and Frozen are mutually exclusive from Burnt. 
  • Asleep: Asleep creatures can't act, but they'll wake up if they're hit. Mental types are immune to Asleep.
  • Doom: The afflicted will automatically faint when the counter hits zero.
  • Poisoned: Poisoned creatures lose health equal to 1/8 of their maximum health per turn. Toxic types are immune to being Poisoned.
  • Burnt: Burnt creatures lose health equal to 1/16 of their maximum health per turn. They also have their Attack and Special Attack lowered by 30%. Fire types can't be Burnt. Burnt is mutually exclusive from Cold and Frozen.
  • Exhausted: Increases Stamina costs by 50%.
  • Vigorized: Decreases Stamina costs by 50%.
  • Immune: Immune creatures can't get any more status conditions.
  • Regenerated: Regenerated creatures heal equal to 1/16 of their maximum health every turn.

There are also a few conditions that aren't in Temtem yet, but will likely be implemented in the future:

  • Trapped: Trapped creatures can't be swapped out.
  • Seized: Seized creatures lose any bonuses/penalties granted by their gear.
  • Exiled: Exiled creatures can't make use of technique Synergies.
  • Neutralized: The type resistances and weaknesses of neutralized creatures do not apply.

A picture of me, Brian Renadette
| Former Staff Writer

I am a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University with a major in writing and a minor in gaming. I have a passion for video games and writing. I also… More about Brian

More Info About This Game
Learn More About Temtem
Game Page Temtem
Developer
Crema
Publisher
Humble Bundle
Platforms
PC
Release Date
January 21, 2020 (Calendar)
Genre
MMO, RPG, Adventure
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