Pokémon Sword and Shield are smashing games in our optics – and in the eyes of many others – but there's no hiding from the fact that the level of difficulty is, shall we say, a little on the accessible side. That'south great if you're simply looking to have a fun chance, but for some people, a little strife can make things even sweeter.

So here are a few means you can make the games harder for yourself through self-imposed rules, whether you're a serial veteran looking for greater oomph, yous want to start a new playthrough later already becoming champion, or you've just heard whispers that information technology's too like shooting fish in a barrel and want something more engaging.

In ascending order of difficulty...

Ditch Your Starter

The simplest and most straightforward of all the possible ways to ramp upward the claiming, y'all tin can just flat-out ditch your starter Pokémon. Grookey, Scorbunny, Sobble, whomever you lot cull, they're designed to be powerful very early on in the game and be the backbone of your team from kickoff to finish. They're also really quick to climb the level ladder, and they as well evolve fairly speedily all things considered. Dropping them off at the first possible opportunity definitely makes the earlier parts of the game tougher.

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Doing this is as simple every bit the concept itself; all y'all need to do is catch a wild Pokémon on Route one after you've been to the Slumbering Weald and add it to your party. Then make a beeline for the Pokémon Middle in Wedgehurst and drop your starter Pokémon in a Box to relax whilst you exercise all the hard stuff.

If you're worried you lot might exist tempted to use it in the future, yous could either release it to say goodbye to it (and temptation) for proficient, or trade it to a friend you can trust so you lot can use it again once your adventure is complete.

Endeavour A Monotype Squad

Dropping your starter off may be tough at start, but you lot'll shortly conform in time, so if you desire to really test your wits you might desire to consider using what'due south chosen a monotype team.

A monotype team is basically a squad of any Pokémon that share a unmarried type between them, much similar most gym leaders do throughout the series. A squad like this means y'all'll not merely take problem with strong foes that are super effective against potentially your entire party, but yous'll also have to think much harder about what moves and Pokémon y'all cull in an effort to counter this as much as y'all perhaps tin can.

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Although not absolutely necessary, we recommend choosing what type your team will share before you beginning your adventure. Yous can either choose alee of time or if you're feeling especially daring you can let the magic of HTML choose for you by clicking on this link. If you do you'll also be shown a list of all the Pokémon available in Sword and Shield that you lot tin can pick from – aren't we lovely?

To start your team, yous'll likely have to ditch your starter Pokémon too, unless you chose or were assigned Grass, Burn, or Water. You'll have to take them through the Slumbering Weald no matter what, but as soon as you're able to grab a Pokémon of your monotype team, you'll have to drib your starter as soon as you can. This can be catchy with certain types, such every bit Fairy, as they won't appear on Route 1 or Route 2, so you'll take to push button through until you get into the Wild Surface area and showtime your monotype team from in that location.

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One last thing to mention, in that location are plenty of Pokémon that proceeds a type when they evolve, such every bit Rookidee gaining the Steel type when it ultimately evolves into Corviknight. Is it adequate to have a Rookidee in a Steel monotype squad for instance? Well at the end of the day information technology's your telephone call, merely in our personal view it'southward perfectly acceptable as although it's not Steel to begin with, its final grade includes it, and that'southward what you'll exist using for the majority of your adventure.

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However, there are as well Pokémon that actively lose a type when they evolve. For example, Onix is Rock and Basis-type, but upon evolving into Steelix it becomes Steel and Basis. For our money, the final evolution is the restriction you lot should place upon yourself, so whilst Onix would be fine in a Steel-type team (provided yous intend to evolve it, which you should), Steelix would not be OK in a Rock-type squad. However, these rules are 100% self-imposed, so if y'all want to bend our stipulations a piffling for any reason any, you're perfectly costless to do so. It'south your pick to do this after all.

Nuzlocke In Your Life

Now we're in large trousers territory. You may well have heard of Nuzlocke at some signal, and for good reason - information technology amps up the difficulty of the games so significantly that poor planning tin even upshot in deleting your save file. Yikes.

The Nuzlocke challenge was created past Nick Franco and named after his webcomic series of the aforementioned name. The very basic principles of it are simple:

  • If one of your Pokémon faints, you must release information technology.
  • You may but catch the first Pokémon you notice in each area, and cypher else.
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People have evolved upon the ideas of Nuzlocke over time and there are naturally going to be a few questions with rules as unproblematic as these; "what nigh the Slumbering Backwoods?", "does information technology have to exist the kickoff overworld Pokémon I run into or the first rustle of a grassy patch?", "can I go on my starter Pokémon?", "where are the toilets?", then on.

So nosotros've compiled our ain list of Nuzlocke rules specifically for the 8th generation, including some optional ones if you fancy a bit more pep.

Mandatory Nuzlocke Rules

These must be followed throughout your entire playthrough.

  1. You may choose your starter Pokémon gifted to you lot by Leon.
  2. Y'all may only capture the commencement Pokémon you boxing in each area. This can either be an overworld Pokémon, a random encounter from entering a grassy patch, a Pokémon you reel in from a angling spot, a Pokémon that falls out of a Berry Tree to attack you, or a Max Raid Battle (y'all may not leave the Den if you do not desire that Pokémon, and you lot must use NPCs rather than other players over the internet or via local wireless). If you fail to capture this Pokémon for whatever reason, exist it because information technology fainted or ran away, you may not catch some other from that surface area. This rule comes into effect only once you receive the Poké Balls you lot get from talking to your mum after visiting the Slumbering Backwoods for the offset time. Each surface area within the Wild Area is considered a split up location, so you may catch a total of 17 Pokémon in the Wild Area, one for each location contained inside it.
  3. You may non merchandise or collaborate with other users via local wireless or over the internet. This includes the Surprise Merchandise option and Max Raid Battles. Pokémon that require evolution through trading such equally Gengar are exempt from this, provided they are traded back immediately.
  4. Y'all may merchandise Pokémon with in-game NPCs, equally long as the Pokémon they asking has been caught in accord with the restrictions listed in dominion 2. Yous may also accept Pokémon given to you by in-game NPCs without trading, such as Toxel.
  5. You may not use Mystery Gift or upshot Pokémon, such as Gigantamax Meowth.
  6. You must nickname every Pokémon you capture, including your starter. This volition make you appreciate them and bail with them more yous would otherwise.
  7. If one of your Pokémon faints, you must transfer it to a Box immediately and release it. This means y'all may not use any items that revive the Pokémon either, information technology is considered permanently fainted and must be released, no exceptions. You may nevertheless heal your Pokémon using items such as Potions and Antidotes.
  8. You may store boosted Pokémon y'all have caught in Boxes to be used if you wish to switch out any fellow member of your party (or 1 of your party faints) provided they are caught in accordance with the restrictions listed in dominion 2.
  9. You must have the Autosave feature active at all times, and you may non reload a previous save at any time. Each action in-game is considered permanent and must be treated every bit such.
  10. Should all of your party Pokémon faint, resulting in a white-out, information technology is considered a game over and yous must beginning your entire adventure over from the beginning, even if you have reserve Pokémon in Boxes.
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Optional Nuzlocke Rules

Experience costless to mix and lucifer as many of these as yous wish, or ignore them entirely.

  • You may non use in-game healing items to heal your Pokémon. This includes status-healing items such equally Antitoxin.
  • Y'all may not buy boosted Poké Balls of any kind, you lot may only employ those you discover on the ground.
  • You may not use held items with your Pokémon.
  • You may not use the Pokémon Link Box to admission your Boxes outside of a Pokémon Center.
  • You lot may not utilize whatever items at all likewise Poké Balls and mandatory Key Items.
  • You may not use the Pokémon Campsite feature to heal your Pokémon with curries.
  • You may not utilize the Pokémon Camp feature at all.
  • You may not utilise starter Pokémon, and they must exist released as soon as you have a Pokémon to supervene upon them.
  • You may not use the Box system to agree reserve Pokémon.
  • Y'all may not run from whatsoever battle.
  • You must use the 'Set' style of boxing rather than the default 'Switch'. This can be found in the Options menu.
  • You may not use the Move Tutor.
  • Y'all may not use the Flying Taxis.
  • Yous may not Dynamax your Pokémon.

Nosotros told yous it was big trousers time, didn't we? Nuzlocke is undoubtedly not for everyone, but if yous've been looking to get some more than claiming in your Pokémon games, yous'll certainly find it with this!