Pokemon GO’s Sword and Shield Paths Explained

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Pokemon GO's Sword and Shield Paths Explained

Key Takeaways

  • Galar region finally gets attention in Pokemon GO with new Timed Research tasks.
  • Legendary Heroes event offers Sword and Shield paths, each with different rewards for players.
  • Solo players are upset over trade challenges in Timed Research, but completing it is optional.

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must say that Niantic has finally managed to catch my attention with their latest offering in Pokemon GO – the Legendary Heroes event. The Galar region, long overlooked, is finally getting some much-needed love, and as someone who’s been following the franchise since the days of Red and Blue, I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia.

Pokemon GO has finally turned its focus towards the Galar region after overlooking it for quite some time in favor of other regions like Alola, Hisui, and even Paldea. Although certain Galarian forms were introduced as early as 2019 to mark the beginning of Generation 8, major creatures from that generation were left out, allowing other generations like Gen 9’s Paldea to have a head start in the AR game. However, Galar is now finally receiving its share of attention with the latest season, which also brings exciting Timed Research tasks for fans to complete.

At the moment, there’s an ongoing event in Pokemon GO called “Legendary Heroes” that continues until October 1 at 8 PM local time. As suggested by its name, this is a collection of tasks organized to honor the fact that Warrior Pokemon Zacian can now be battled in raids, with Zamazenta arriving during the Galarian Expedition event on October 4th. To complement these canine Legendaries, players can engage in Timed Research and have two separate paths to choose from to earn distinct rewards: the Sword path or the Shield path.

How Pokemon GO’s Legendary Heroes Sword Path and Shield Path Work

As a gamer, I’ve noticed that even though Zamazenta and Zacian are appearing in raids, they aren’t rewards for completing the Timed Research tasks. Instead, deciding on the Sword or Shield path affects the Pokemon encounters players will have through Incense and the research itself. This implies that gamers can choose the Sword or Shield path depending on what they need for their Pokedex without any hassle.

During the Timed Research, players will continue to collect standard stardust, XP, and items. However, there’s no difference in Galar Pokemon rewards for choosing one path over another. As part of the Legendary Heroes event, you might find Galarian Ponyta, Galarian Darumaka, Grookey, Koffing, Scorbunny, Skwovet, and Sobble more often in the wild if you missed them when the Max Out season began. The creatures players can encounter using Incense and Timed Research tasks are listed below.

Sword Path

  • Seedot
  • Scraggy
  • Gothita
  • Deino
  • Swirlix
  • Passimian
  • Rufflet – Timed Research final task reward.

Shield Path

  • Larvitar
  • Lotad
  • Croagunk
  • Solosis
  • Spritzee
  • Oranguru
  • Vullaby – Timed Research final task reward.

The type of journey you pick will impact the bonuses you receive for both the Catch Challenge and Trade Challenge. In the Catch Challenge, Pokemon from the specified list will be involved, like a Sword player having to catch Gothita, Seedot, and Scraggy, whereas the Trade Challenge will request creatures from the Shield list. This setup seems to have been designed so fans could engage with players who picked a different path than their own.

On the other hand, the Trade Challenge has left many solitary Pokemon GO players frustrated, as they lack companions nearby to complete this task. These enthusiasts are urging Niantic to cease the implementation of time-bound Trade Challenges, so that no rewards are missed due to a lack of friends who share their passion for Pokemon.

Should Players Complete the Legendary Heroes Timed Research?

Essentially, whether or not a player decides to finish the Timed Research is their choice. However, if they don’t need these specific creatures for their Pokedex, aren’t aiming for the Elite Collector Medal, or don’t want a quicker level up, there isn’t a compelling reason to go the extra mile to complete the Timed Research. The Timed Research is straightforward, divided into just two sections, but there are alternative ways to gather resources in Pokemon GO.

Although the idea of Branching Timed Research in Pokemon GO seems intriguing, it could potentially squander players’ time if they anticipate special encounters as a result of their work. Regardless, players have until October 1st to accomplish the seven tasks that make up the entire journey, which can be easily done within a day if they choose to join in at the last minute.

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2024-09-29 18:53