Pokémon Sword and Shield players have a brand new Gigantamax Pokémon to capture with the addition of Gigantamax Toxtricity. Since many of you will be looking to add a Toxtricity capable of Gigantamaxing, we’ve compiled a guide to help you find and catch it before it leaves raids.
When is Gigantamax Toxtricity available to catch?
Owners of Pokémon Sword and Shield will be able to encounter and capture Gigantamax Toxtricity from February 6 to March 8, 2020. It is currently unknown if it will return to raid battles after that, so we recommend trying to get your hands on one while it’s here!
What den does Gigantamax Toxtricity spawn in? Where can I find it?
These are the questions many trainers will be asking themselves while hunting for one in the Wild Area. Unfortunately, the answer is that they can be found in any one of the dens littering the vast area. That means you’ll need to search through the active raids that have spawned and see if it is up.
You’ll be looking for the silhouette pictured above. Toxtricity has two forms: Amped Form and Low Key Form. Which form you encounter in your raid differs by game version, as do the increased raid chances of some other Gigantamax Pokémon. Take a look:
- Pokémon Sword: Gigantamax Toxtricty (Amped Form), Gigantamax Kingler and Gigantamax Grimmsnarl
- Pokémon Shield: Gigantamax Toxtricty (Low Key Form), Gigantamax Orbeetle and Gigantamax Hatterene
It can spawn from either a red or purple beam, so make sure to check each active raid carefully.
What if no Gigantamax Toxtricity raids are up?
There are several options available to players who don’t have a Gigantamax Toxtricity raid currently active in their Wild area:
- Defeat all active Max Raid battles to respawn new raids
- Check the Y-Comm to see if other players are looking for help defeating a Gigantamax Toxtricity
- Use a Wishing Piece to summon a new raid boss (expensive, but could be a good way to dump excess Watts)
Is Gigantamax Toxtricity only available as a 5-star raid?
Nope! You don’t need the eighth gym badge in order to encounter it! Don’t worry if you’ve just started your adventure.
How do I catch the other form of Gigantamax Toxtricity?
If you want the form that does not spawn in your game, the best way to catch it is to coordinate with friends who have the opposite game version as you. You can also meet new trainers who may be able to help you out on social media or in our Discord.
A less reliable way would be joining random Gigantamax Toxtricity battles over the Y-Comm and crossing your fingers. We recommend trying to round up some other players to help you out though.
What are the best Pokémon to counter Gigantamax Toxtricity in a Max Raid battle?
In order to take advantage of Gigantamax Toxtricity’s double weakness to Ground-type attacks, we recommend Pokémon that are at least part Ground-type for the STAB bonus. This also gives them immunity to Electric-type attacks. In addition, Steel-type gives immunity to Poison-type attacks so these two Pokémon are pretty sure bets:
- Excadrill: Found in Giant’s Mirror, Giant’s Cap or Lake of Outrage in the Wild Area roaming freely or in specific Max Raids
- Steelix: Found in Giant’s Mirror or Giant’s Seat in the Wild Area roaming freely or in specific Max Raids
Here’s one tip though: don’t use the move Earthquake! You’ll probably do some heavy damage to others battling with you. Instead, use attacks like Drill Run (Excadrill), Stomping Tantrum (TM98) or High Horsepower (TR94). If you’re running a Special Attack-based Ground Pokémon, Earth Power is a great attack that won’t damage friends.
Gigantamax Toxtricity’s G-Max Move
Gigantamax Toxtricity isn’t the only new addition—there’s a new G-Max move that it brings to the games as well! That’s G-Max Stun Shock, an attack that deals damage and can also poison or paralyze all your opponents! It could definitely turn the tides of battle in your favor.
Good luck trainers! If you have any other questions, please leave them down in the comments and we’ll try to answer them or even add more to the guide for you!