Pokemon Sword and Shield – How to Shiny Hunt

Previously relegated to the more hardcore set of Pokemon players, shiny hunting has become a huge part of the gameplay experience in the latest few entries. These alternatively colored creatures are highly sought after by a huge set of players. While there’s always been some way to increase the odds of encountering and catching one, the newer games have stepped up in this department. And while there’s still a lot to explore in this area for the latest games, we’re going to break down how to shiny hunt in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

How to Shiny Hunt

First off, don’t expect to see if a particular Pokemon is shiny while exploring in the game’s world. While Pokemon spawn in the world now, allowing players to be more particular about which they battle and which they avoid, they will only show their shiny nature once you encounter them. Keep this in mind as you shiny hunt, because you might be avoiding what you’ve worked so hard to find.

With that in mind, here’s the ways you can increase the odds of a successful shiny hunt. First off, the chain mechanic is back. Encountering and battling against the same type of Pokemon over and over again will change the odds in your favor. It still won’t be an easy shiny to get, but the odds will go from about one in four thousand to maybe the low hundreds. The strategy for this boils down to finding an area where the Pokemon you want to be shiny appears often, then wandering around encountering, battling, and potentially catching as many as you can without encountering any other type of Pokemon. This is called Chaining and is the best way to shiny hunt in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Beyond that there is another way to increase your odds overall of encountering a particular shiny Pokemon. Sword and Shield keep track of how many times you have defeated each type of creature in battle. The higher the number, the better the odds of running into a shiny. Battle as many of each type of Pokemon, but focus on defeating specific ones if they are the target of your shiny hunting.

Also keep in mind that creatures of higher levels within the Wild Area can’t be shiny if you would be unable to catch them. Avoid them while you hunt shiny Pokemon in order to waste less time. There is also an object called the Shiny Charm which will greatly increase your results as you shiny hunt. However it has yet to be found, so check back for an update on that (UPDATE: Here’s how to get the Shiny Charm).

And that’s how to shiny hunt in Pokemon Sword and Shield.