Pokemon Sword and Shield: Battle Stadium guide

Battle Stadium in Pokemon Sword and Shield is a competitive online space where you can battle other players online using the Nintendo Online Service. This is different from Battle Tower, which is only available offline.

Battle Stadium is also a lot harder than Battle Tower, simply because you are playing against other human players and they are so much better than any NPC you will fight in the main game. The online battle feature is not new to the Pokemon series though, but the Battle Stadium is a new take on them.

Pokemon Sword and Shield has stepped up their game in the Nintendo Online Services where you can not only Battle and Trade with other people online but now you can also participate in co-op modes such as Dynamax Raid Battles.

There are many different strategies you can use to polish your Pokemon to be competitive online. Here is a short overview on what you can expect from the Battle Stadium and some tips and tricks on what you can to do to improve your online game.

Rental Teams online

Rent teams

Just like how you can Rent teams in Battle Tower, you can rent different Pokemon teams in Battle Stadium as well. You will need to know the Team ID of the player you are renting from. Once entered, you can choose to battle online with their team.

Different Battle Types

Pokemon Sword and Shield

There are 3 modes available in Battle Stadium: Casual, Ranked & Online Competition. Casual Battles is only for casual online battles and there are no scores or ranks being tracked.

This is different for Ranked Battles however. Ranked Battles feature 5 different tiers: Beginner, Poke Ball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball and Master Ball Tier. You gain ranks by winning battles and winning points. Losing Battles will make you lose points but you will never go down in Rank.

Once the season ends, the rank of all players will go down to Beginner Tier.

Ranks available in Ranked Battle Mode

Online Competitions are occasionally held by The Pokemon Company. They typically last a few days and you'll need to register a few Pokemon to play. There has only been one competition so far in Sword and Shield but we can expect more. You can also participate in the Pokemon World Championships when it's announced!

Dynamax Battles

Dynamax Battles

What would Battles in Sword and Shield be without Dynamax Battles? In Battle Stadium, you can Dynamax or Gigantamax your Pokemon once per battle till it runs out after 3 turns. You can Dynamax later on as well if your Dynamax Band recharges and the Battle has gone on long enough.

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Here are some tips and strategies on how you can win in Battle Tower.

Choose your best Pokemon

Online battles

Online Battles can be very tough. It will be even tougher in Ranked Mode where people are bringing in their A-game. You can bring up to 3 Pokemon in a Single Battle and 6 Pokemon in a Double Battle. Check out our guide on some of the best Pokemon you can train in Sword and Shield.

Hold Items

Hold Items become very useful when Battling. At minimum, you should give your Pokemon the special item which enhances their Special Type (for example, Charcoal to boost Fire Types, Mystic Water to boost Water Types and so on).

You can also get items such as Focus Sash and Expert Belt. There are many items that are specifically designed to help you in Battle such as preventing fainting. You can find many of these items in the Wild or you can buy them from places such as the BP Store in Battle Tower.

Special Moves

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There are certain special moves you can find around the map once you have finished the game. Ultimate Moves, Draco Meteor, Steel Beam are some of these moves which are very powerful with certain Pokemon. Combine these with your high IV Pokemon and you will get Pokemon that can almost one-hit some Pokemon out of battle.

Breed Pokemon

Pokemon Sword and Shield

Breeding your Pokemon is a great way for them to have high IVs, custom moves and better nature. Breeding has been the best way to competitively groom your Pokemon for online battles since it was introduced in Generation 2.

You can breed a male and female Pokemon of any type. As usual, you can also use a Ditto to breed Pokemon as well. A good breeding tip is to catch high stat Pokemon such as the ones you find in the Wild Area.