Pokémon Sword and Shield: Every Shiny Legendary Pokemon in Crown Tundra and How To Hunt Them

Pokémon Sword and Shield is a popular role-playing video game developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. The game has become a sensation among Pokémon fans, with its unique storyline, captivating characters, and engaging gameplay.

Some shiny legendary Pokemon in The Crown Tundra can be met via static encounters, like the Regis, but most come through taking on the newly introduced Dynamax Adventures known as Max Lair. These difficult multi-battle runs can net you just about every classic Legendary Pokémon in the series.

In total, there are 64 known Legendary Pokémon and one known Mythical Pokémon that can be captured or acquired in The Crown Tundra. The DLC introduced three regional variants of classic Legendary Pokémon as well as five brand-new Legendary Pokémon.

One of the most exciting aspects of the game for players is the possibility of encountering shiny Pokémon, which are extremely rare variants of regular Pokémon with a different color palette and a unique sparkling animation. Unfortunately, there are some Pokémon that are Shiny Locked in Pokémon Sword and Shield‘s Crown Tundra DLC. Per Serebii, nine are Shiny Locked in total. That means no matter how many times you reset your game or retry the encounter, they’ll never be shiny.

In this article, we will discuss every shiny legendary Pokemon in Crown Tundra and how to hunt them. You might ask, What are the odds of a shiny legendary Pokemon encounter? Whether you’re a seasoned Pokémon player or new to the game, this guide will help you understand the different methods of obtaining these elusive creatures and increase your chances of encountering them in their shiny form.

What are Shiny Locked Pokémon?

Shiny Locked Pokémon are Pokémon that cannot be obtained as a shiny version through normal gameplay methods in certain Pokémon games. How rare are shiny Legendaries in Pokemon, you ask? Shiny Pokémon are rare versions of Pokémon with a different color palette and sparkling animation. Shiny Pokemon are the rarest you can find in the game.

In some Pokémon games, certain Pokémon are pre-programmed to be “Shiny Locked,” which means they cannot be obtained as shiny no matter how many times a player encounters them. This is typically done to prevent players from obtaining a shiny version of a specific Pokemon too easily or too early in the game.

For example, in Pokémon Sword and Shield, some Pokémon like the Starter Pokémon (Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble), Zacian, Zamazenta, Eternatus, and some Legendary Pokemon, are Shiny Locked and cannot be found as shiny, even if a player soft resets or encounters them many times.

Shiny Legendary Pokémon you won’t find in Crown Tundra

• Shiny Locked Pokémon in Crown Tundra: Cosmog, Poipole, Keldeo, Galarian Articuno, Galarian Zapdos, Galarian Moltres, Glastrier, Spectrier, Calyrex

Cosmog and Poipole are given as gifts as the story progresses in Crown Tundra, while Keldeo is a specially triggered encounter after capturing Terrakion, Cobalion, and Virizion.

Keldeo is actually the lone Mythical Pokémon that can be caught in Pokémon Sword and Shield‘s Crown Tundra DLC, but unfortunately it is Shiny Locked. If you need help finding Keldeo, you can follow our guide for more details.

The new regional variants of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, as well as the new Legendary Pokémon Glastrier, Spectrier, and Calyrex are also Shiny Locked. Their Shiny Forms will likely be available in the future through a special event.

Shiny Legendary Pokémon not found in Max Lair

• Shiny Legendary Pokémon outside of Max Lair: Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Regieleki, Regidrago, Regigigas, Cobalion, Virizion, Terrakion

There are only nine Shiny Legendary Pokémon that can be encountered in Crown Tundra that won’t be found in a Max Lair. Eight of them are found via traditional static encounters, which means you’ll trigger a regular battle where you’ll need to weaken the Pokémon and then throw your Poké Ball of choice.

The exception to this rule is Regigigas, which I’ll get to in a moment. For Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion, you’ll need to encounter them on the overworld. As soon as the encounter begins, you’ll see if it’s a Shiny Legendary. If the Pokémon you’ve found is not in its Shiny Form, simply run away from it.

While there was an initial belief that fainting it would increase the odds of finding it in a subsequent encounter, those factors don’t affect Legendary Pokémon, so you’re better off just running away to save time. The quickest way to restart the encounter is to open up your menu and set up camp.

In the exact spot the encounter happened, go into your Pokémon Camp. Once you exit out of it, the Pokémon will respawn, and may be a Shiny Legendary that time. You can follow our guide if you need help locating the Legendary Tracks to get these Pokémon to spawn.

Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Regieleki, and Regidrago are all encountered by lighting up a puzzle of dots on the floor to set up the encounter. If you start and they aren’t a Shiny Legendary, simply run away and light up the dots again to retry the encounter. You can follow our guide if you need more details on finding the Regis.

The final Shiny Legendary you can encounter in Crown Tundra is Regigigas, which is found through a specially triggered Max Raid. Should you find its Shiny Form, this will be visible when the Max Raid begins.

If Regigigas doesn’t look shiny, you’ll need to reset your game and try the encounter again. You can follow our guide for more details.

Also read: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Everything You Need to Know About Terastal Pokémon.

Version Exclusive Legendary Pokémon in Crown Tundra

Before getting into the entire group, it’s important to point out that some are version exclusives. There are eight Legendary Pokémon exclusive to Pokémon Sword and eight exclusive to Pokémon Shield.

• Pokémon Sword Exclusive Legendary Pokémon: Ho-Oh, Latios, Groudon, Dialga, Tornadus, Reshiram, Xerneas, Solgaleo
• Pokémon Shield Exclusive Legendary Pokémon: Lugia, Latias, Kyogre, Palkia, Thundurus, Zekrom, Yveltal, Lunala

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t encounter them. If you are looking for a Legendary Pokémon that is exclusive to the other game, you can still encounter it if you play online and join a Max Lair hosted by someone using the opposite game.

Even if you find something that isn’t normally available in your game, you’ll still be given the option to jot down the Pokémon’s location for a future run, which will then mean you aren’t at the mercy of someone else happening to host the right Max Lair in the future.

Another way you can find the locations of specific Legendary Pokémon in the Max Lair is by talking to Peonia on the left side of the Max Lair entrance. She’ll often offer location information for 5 Dynite Ore, but only for Legendary Pokémon available in your version of the game.

Be sure to check Peonia after every Max Lair you go through. Usually every one or two she’ll look excited and you’ll be able to talk to her again to get information about another Legendary Pokémon.

Every Shiny Legendary Pokémon found in a Max Lair in Crown Tundra

• Max Lair Shiny Legendary Pokémon: Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mewtwo, Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Latias, Latios, Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf, Dialga, Palkia, Heatran, Giratina, Cresselia, Tornadus, Thundurus, Reshiram, Zekrom, Landorus, Kyurem, Xerneas, Yveltal, Zygarde, Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Fini, Solgaleo, Lunala, Nihilego, Buzzwole, Pheromosa, Xurkitree, Celesteela, Kartana, Guzzlord, Necrozma, Stakataka, Blacephalon

The above list shows the 47 different Shiny Legendary Pokémon you can encounter in a Max Lair in Pokémon Sword and Shield‘s Crown Tundra DLC.

The last ten (Nihilego and after) won’t appear until you’ve completed the Legendary Adventures with Peony. That means you’ll need to have caught the Regis, the Legendary Bird Trio, and Calyrex and the chosen counterpart of Spectrier or Glastrier.

Only after completing all of those will the Ultra Beasts appear in the Max Lair, which is triggered by a final clue that Peony drops after completing the other adventures. You’ll then be able to talk to him in the Max Lair.

If you’re struggling with completing Max Lair adventures, you can follow our tips to help with every Max Lair adventure you go on. As mentioned before, remember that you won’t know if you’ve caught a Shiny Legendary until after the Max Lair is over.

If the Legendary Pokémon you’ve caught isn’t in its Shiny Form, do not keep it, and try the Max Lair again. It’ll take time, patience, and luck, but all of these Pokémon can be found and caught in their Shiny Form in Pokémon Sword and Shield‘s Crown Tundra DLC.

Here are the shiny legendary Pokémon you can find in the Crown Tundra:

Regieleki: The Bolt Strike Pokemon

The first legendary is Regieleki, the Electric-type Bolt Strike Pokemon. This speedy legendary is a force to be reckoned with, boasting an impressive base speed stat of 200. To catch this shiny variant, you’ll need to first encounter it in the Split-Decision Ruins, which can be accessed by solving various puzzles. Once you’ve found Regieleki, you’ll need to have a bit of luck on your side. Shiny Pokemon have a 1 in 4,096 chance of appearing, so keep at it until you find the shiny Regieleki of your dreams!

Regidrago: The Dragon Orb Pokemon

Next up is Regidrago, the Dragon-type Dragon Orb Pokemon. Like Regieleki, Regidrago can be found in the Split-Decision Ruins, but you’ll need to solve a different set of puzzles to reach this legendary. Once you’ve encountered Regidrago, the same odds apply for finding the shiny variant. With its impressive Dragon-type moves and high Attack and Special Attack stats, a shiny Regidrago will be a valuable addition to your team.

Galarian Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres: The Legendary Birds

The next three legendaries on our list are the Galarian forms of the Legendary Birds: Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. These icy, electric, and fiery birds can be found roaming around the Crown Tundra, but they won’t be easy to catch. To encounter them, you’ll need to first track down their footprints using the Legendary Clue 1, 2, and 3 quests. Once you’ve found their locations, you’ll need to battle them to lower their health and catch them with a well-timed Pokeball throw. And, of course, you’ll need to have some luck on your side to find their shiny variants.

Calyrex: The King of Bountiful Harvests

The final shiny legendary is Calyrex, the Psychic/Grass-type King of Bountiful Harvests. Calyrex can be found in the Crown Shrine, but you’ll need to first complete the main story and catch all the other legendary Pokemon in the Crown Tundra. Once you’ve done that, Calyrex will reveal itself to you. And, as always, you’ll need to have a bit of luck to find the shiny variant.

Tips for Finding Shiny Legendary Pokémon in Crown Tundra

Now that you know which shiny legendary Pokémon are available in the Crown Tundra, it’s time to start hunting. Here are some tips to increase your chances of finding a shiny:

Use the Masuda Method – Breeding two Pokémon from different language games increases the chances of getting a shiny by a factor of 6.

Use the Shiny Charm – Obtaining the Shiny Charm by completing the Pokédex increases the chances of getting a shiny by a factor of 3.

Use the Max Raid Battles – Hosting or participating in Max Raid Battles with other players increases your chances of finding a shiny by a factor of 3.

Keep Hunting – Remember that the chances of finding a shiny legendary Pokémon are still very low, so it may take a while to get one. Keep hunting and don’t give up.

And there you have it – all the shiny legendaries in the Crown Tundra and how to hunt them down. Remember, catching these legendary Pokemon takes patience, perseverance, and a bit of luck. But with enough dedication, you’ll soon have a team of shining legendaries that will make all your friends jealous. Good luck and happy hunting!

Shiny Hunting in Max Lair

The final method for finding a Shiny Legendary in Pokémon Sword and Shield‘s Crown Tundra DLC is the one you’ll likely spend the most time on, and can be one of the most efficient Shiny Hunting methods the game has ever given us.

When you run through a Max Lair, it’s important to remember that the Pokémon you encounter and catch will not appear to be shiny until the adventure is over and the game lets you pick one to keep. At the end of the Max Lair you’ll be allowed to choose one Pokémon to keep.

If you had a successful run, captured three normal Pokémon throughout and captured the Legendary Pokémon, you’ll have four to choose from. This is a key moment, because you’ll need to look closely to see if any of the ones you caught are in their Shiny Form.