Pokémon Sword and Shield: Where to Find Cavern, Grassland, and Iron Will Tracks

The Crown Tundra DLC of Pokémon Sword and Shield is almost entirely about discovering the Legendary Pokémon from years past, as well as new ones, such as by catching Calyrex.

Peony will set you up on three of the Legendary Pokémon missions, but there is yet another quest to encounter if you want to find those that make up the Swords of Justice.

So, here’s everything that you need to know about finding the first footprints for the Cavern, Grassland, and Iron Will Legendary Pokémon, and how to track Terrakion, Virizion, and Cobalion before catching the Legendary Pokémon.

How to trigger the Legendary tracking mission of the Crown Tundra

Once you’ve arrived in Freezington and spoken to Peony in his house, you’ll be all set to look into the thee Legendary Clues.

To start tracking Cobalion, Terrakion, or Virizion, however, you’ll need to turn right after leaving the house, go around the fence (as seen in the image above), and then examine (press A) the small blue footprints behind the tree.

After you’ve had a look at the blue tracks, Sonia will arrive, telling you that she’s certain that three Legendary Pokémon are lurking out of sight in the Crown Tundra.

How to track the Cavern, Grassland, and Iron Will Pokémon

To find the Pokémon, which turn out to be the members of the Swords of Justice originally found in Generation V, you’ll need to collect data by examining (press A) footprints around the DLC map.

Completing a Legendary track requires the finding of 50 footprint sets. Luckily, the tracks are quite noticeable on the ground, and are all on one set route for you to follow.

Each time you complete a set of tracks by finding 100 per cent of the evidence, you can report back to Sonia in the house shown above – found in Freezington – to learn the location of Terrakion, Virizion, and Cobalion.

When approaching the Legendary Pokémon, it’s always a good idea to save the game when you first spot them. Then, build a team according to their strengths and weaknesses, including the perfect catching machine Pokémon for good measure.

Where to find the first Cavern Pokémon footprints to track Terrakion

The area that you need to go to in order to find the first footprints for the Cavern tracks is the same as where you need to go to discover the Galarian Legendary Birds.

In the southernmost area of the map, which you can get to by flying to Dyna Tree Hill, you’ll be able to find evidence of the Cavern Pokémon all around the outside of the moat.

You’ll notice that they take the form of grey footprints or grey circles and can only be found in open space that’s not directly covered by tall grass.

However, the best place to find the first Cavern Pokémon footprints to start your tracking is in a small inlet on the eastern side of the area.

See the map above for the general tracking area, with the arrow pointing to the best place to start finding Cavern Pokémon tracks.

If you can avoid collecting any evidence of the Cavern Pokémon before reaching the inlet, you should be able to track the footprints around the area easily. For reference, the start of the Cavern Pokémon footprints is shown below.

From this tree, you’ll be able to find the Cavern tracks following the route around the moat quite easily. Perhaps the only real sticking point is when they disappear, running into a large rock formation.

To carry on your tracking, turn right at these rocks, follow them all the way around, and you’ll be able to spot several Cavern footprints on the other side, near the den.

Once you’ve picked up the Cavern footprints on this other side, continue to follow them around the moat. They’ll zigzag around, but the direction will lead you from the inlet, around the outside of the moat, and back around to the entrance of Lakeside Cave.

A good tip to keep in mind for collecting evidence of the Cavern Pokémon in this area, should you want to do so quickly and efficiently, is to deploy a method of repelling several Boltund.  

At many times of the day, Boltund swarm the area of Cavern tracks and are very aggressive in the wild. So, either use a Repel item or put a Pokémon like Nidoking at the top of your team.

Nidoking is an excellent combatant for Boltund, especially if you give it a fighting-type move like the TR High Horsepower, as the majority of the Canine Pokémon’s attacks are electric-type, which doesn’t affect Nidoking.

How to get Terrakion in Pokémon Sword and Shield

Once you’ve collected 50 pieces of evidence of the Cavern Pokémon, you can report back to Sonia in Freezington. At this point, she’ll inform you that the Pokemon known as Terrakion dwells in Lakeside Cave.

If you followed the grey footprints from the start of the Cavern Pokémon track, you would have already visited Lakeside Cave at the end of the trail. As seen above, the entrance is very close to the moat.

Once you enter Lakeside Cave, you likely won’t have to do much exploring to encounter Terrakion. It’s a good idea to save your game as you enter the cave because the Legendary Pokémon will be just to the left or right of the entrance path.

Terrakion is a Level 70 rock-fighting type Pokémon, found to be carrying the signature fighting move of the trio, Sacred Sword, Swords Dance, the fighting-type move Close Combat, and the rock-type move Stone Edge.

Water, grass, fighting, ground, psychic, steel, and fairy-type attacks are super effective against Terrakion, so it’s best to avoid those moves.

Ideally, you’d include a Pokémon in your team with moderate-to-low damage normal, fire, bug, rock, or dark-type attacks to help chip off bits of Terrakion’s HP.

To help withstand its more powerful attacks, it’s a good idea to include Pokémon that have a psychic, ghost, fairy, fighting, or ground typing, as well as strong Level 60 to Level 80 Pokémon to do the attacking.

As always, a Quick Ball at the very start of the encounter is a wise way to try to catch Terrakion, if you have some spare. Otherwise, it’ll be a case of grinding its HP down into the red and then using Ultra Balls, or perhaps a Dusk Ball as the encounter will take place in a cave.

Where to find the first Grassland Pokémon footprints to track Virizion

After talking to Sonia, there’s a good chance that the next footprints that you encounter will be the evidence of the Grassland Pokémon.

To track the Grassland Pokémon, you’ll need to keep an eye out for the bright green footprints of two circles.

Found just outside of Freezington, down the route leading from the back of Peony’s house, the Grassland tracks start to the left of the large rock, near the tall grass patch that’s likely teeming with Abomasnow.

You’ll find more Grassland Pokémon footprints down the snowy hill, leading you into the grassy Giant’s Bed region of the map, just past one of the Regi riddle tombs to solve.

The footprints take you on a long route around the Giant’s Bed area, going past the Old Cemetery, down the river near Dyna Tree Hill, back up past the Old Cemetery, and then to the other entrance to Freezington.

Below, you can see the general route of where you can find the evidence of the Grassland Pokémon.

Once you’ve passed the Regi temple, keep right coming to the next turning and head straight down the hill, with the tracks then leading you towards the Old Cemetery. Follow the footprints down the left side (as you’re looking at it) to a stop next to a hill.

Double back and head up the small hill to pick up the trail again, continuing to head in the same direction (eastwards) while keeping to the lower slope.

If you follow the tracks over the short mound, you should find yourself looking at a large patch of tall grass and three massive trees.

Looking at the trees, the trail will take you down the left side, with the route following the hill down under the cove and towards the river. At the river, you’ll find several Grassland footprints following the water but then heading up the adjoining hill.

Following the green footprints will lead you up to the other side of the Old Cemetery. From here, follow the Grassland tracks back up the hill, leading towards a snowy patch that marks the back entrance to Freezington.

How to get Virizion in Pokémon Sword and Shield

Having found 100 per cent of the evidence of the Grassland Pokémon, you’ll need to go back to Sonia’s house in Freezington to have her analyse your findings.

She’ll inform you that the Pokémon is Virizion, which is hiding in the area known as the Giant’s Bed.

This gives you a vast area to search, with the best method to find Virizion in the Crown Tundra being to follow the same route of its green tracks. Here, it was located just outside of the Old Cemetery.

The Legendary Pokémon should show itself with a fair bit of distance between you and it, so be sure to take the time to save your game and build up the best team to catch Virizion.

Virizion is a Level 70 grass-fighting type Pokémon, hosting two fighting-type moves (Sacred Sword and Close Combat), Swords Dance, and the grass-type attack Leaf Blade.

Flying-type moves are incredibly effective against Virizion, with fire, ice, poison, psychic, and fairy-type moves being super effective against the Pokémon: so, it’s best to avoid using attacks of those types.

To help your efforts when trying to catch Virizion, it’s a good idea to have Pokémon between Level 60 and Level 80 do the attacking.

Make sure that you have some with low-to-moderate water, electric, grass, ground, rock, and dark-type attacks ready as they aren’t very effective and can knock off small bits of HP.

To help absorb the powerful moves of Virizion while you attempt to catch the Legendary Pokémon, see if you have a strong flying, poison, or bug-type Pokémon as fighting and grass-type moves are weak against those types.

Trying to catch Virizion, much like with any other Legendary Pokémon, can take a lot of time and Poké Balls, so it’s always worth throwing in a Quick Ball with your first turn, just in case.

If that fails, gradually cut down Virizion’s HP until its health bar is red and then pile on Ultra Balls until you catch the Pokémon that leaves green footprints.

Where to find the first Iron Will Pokémon footprints to track Cobalion

The first set of footprints that you encounter in Freezington belong to the Iron Will Pokémon, but the start of its trail is all the way on the other side of the Crown Tundra map.

As seen above, the evidence of the Iron Will Pokémon is found in the Roaring-Sea Caves, with the easiest way to access the tracks being via the river path to the south, which starts in the Giant’s Foot area.

Cycling down the river into the caves, the footprints for the Iron Will Pokémon start from the first right turning into the caves system.

You’ll need to find the vast majority of the blue footprints in the many rooms of the Roaring-Sea Caves, but the trail does take you outside, towards the Frigid Sea in the east.

Within the caves, you can find evidence of the Iron Will Pokémon down just about every path, so be sure to sweep each room fully before leaving for the icy beach.

When you’re outside, you’ll be able to find many blue tracks around, all over the area. Once you have them all, though, you’ll need to hop on your bike and cycle around to the next site of Iron Will tracks.

As you can see above, you’ll need to follow the Iron Will tracks from the right side of the beach and set off on your bike, aiming to get to the other side of the ice floats shown.

Once you’ve cycled around the ice, you’ll spot another section of land. Cycle onto this area to pick-up the final footprints of the Iron Will trail.

How to get Cobalion in Pokémon Sword and Shield

With 50 blue footprints found, you’ll have enough evidence of the Iron Will Pokémon to have Sonia analyse your findings. Meeting her in Freezigton, she’ll tell you that you can find Cobalion on the Frigid Sea.

Towards the end of the blue footprints tracking, you will have ventured out a bit into the Frigid Sea. Cobalion resides on the island further out at sea which can be seen from the cave entrance.

Once you’ve cycled across the sea to reach the raised island, you should consider saving your game and building the best team to catch Cobalion based on its strengths and weaknesses.

Cobalion is a Level 70 steel-fighting type Pokémon, with the fighting-type moves Sacred Sword and Close Combat highlighting its move set. It also carries Swords Dance to enhance its attack, as well as the steel-type attack Iron Head.

While poison-type attacks don’t affect Cobalion, it’s is particularly susceptible to fire, fighting, and ground-type moves, so avoid those when trying to catch the Iron Will Pokémon.

You’ll want to create your team with strong attacking Pokémon between Level 60 and 80. Use low-to-moderate normal, grass, ice, dragon, dark, steel, and particularly bug and rock-type moves as they aren’t very effective against Cobalion – making them suitable for chipping away at its HP without defeating the Legendary Pokémon.

To enable you to eat up Cobalion’s attacks while trying to catch it, see if you can bring in a strong flying, poison, psychic, bug, ghost, fire, water, or electric-type Pokémon.

If you have one of a high-enough level (over Level 55), Shedinja is an excellent little stopper to have in your team for the Cobalion battle.

None of the Legendary Pokémon’s attacks can harm the strange evolution Pokémon. If you use the weak move Mud-Slap with a Level 60-ish Shedinja, you’ll be able to clinically chip away at Cobalion’s HP despite it being a super-effective move.

Using a Quick Ball with your first action of the battle with Cobalion can result in you catching the Legendary Pokémon immediately. If that fails, though, you’ll need to work it into low HP and then keep on throwing Ultra Balls.

What do you do after catching Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion?

Having found the footprints of the Iron Will, Cavern, and Grassland Pokémon, and caught Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion, it’s time to return to Sonia in Freezington.

Talk to Sonia in her house, showing her each of your new Legendary Pokémon. Doing this will earn you a small reward for each one, as follows:

• 10 Exp. Candies S
• 10 Exp. Candies M
• 10 Exp. Candies L

After you have received your prizes, Sonia will depart the Crown Tundra with her Yamper in tow.

Now that you’ve captured Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion, you can tick a few more of the many Legendary Pokémon of the Crown Tundra off of your list.