Galar Newcomers Pokemon Sword Shield

Next Sword and Shield Online Competition Welcomes Galar Newcomers

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Published: January 13, 2020 4:30 PM

The 2nd online competition for Pokemon Sword and Shield is coming at the end of January and will feature all the brand new Pokemon introduced in the Galar region.

The competition, titled Galar Newcomers, is a double-battles format competition where players are restricted to using only Pokemon introduced this generation. This means that the likes of Cinderace, Corviknight, and Drednaw are eligible, while old favorites like Tyranitar, Excadrill, and Charizard are barred from the competition. Zacian, Zamazenta, and Eternatus are also banned from the competition. Galarian forms of old Pokemon, however, are eligible to play as well, as are all Galarian Gigantamax forms, if trainers have one captured and ready to go.

Other rules for Galar Newcomers include a limit of 15 matches a day while the tournament is taking place, starting January 31st to February 2nd. Battles will have a ten-minute time limit per player (called Your Time) and all Pokemon, from level 1 to 100, will be locked into level 50 for the competition. Any players interested in registering for the tournament can do so from now until January 30th, by going to their Battle Stadium Online Competitions page in the VS Menu in the game. Win or lose, all players who participate will receive 50 battle points for just playing one battle in the competition. 

Because it is a doubles format, players will need to select four out of six Pokemon for each match they play. Our previous guides on building competitive teams may be helpful for players. Concepts such as selecting a core for your Pokemon team, as well as formulating strategies to support and cripple their opponents, have already been discussed with more to come.  With the added restriction of using only new Pokemon from Generation 8, that challenge is a little tougher but definitely manageable.

What are your thoughts on the Galar Newcomers tournament? Willing to play in it for glory and battle points? Leave your comments below. 

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| Staff Writer

A longtime player of games, creator of worlds, and teacher of minds. Robert has worked many positions over the years, from college professor to education… More about Robert

More Info About This Game
Learn More About Pokémon Sword and Shield
Developer
Game Freak
Publisher
Nintendo
Platforms
Nintendo Switch
Release Date
November 15, 2019 (Calendar)
Genre
Open World, RPG
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