Hunting for shinies in Pokemon games is no joke; it takes hours of dedication, so those in the shiny hunting game are understandably eager to latch onto any timesaving elements they can. As well as chaining consecutive encounters with the same Pokemon, players can utilize the Pokemon Sword and Shield Masuda Method to improve their chances of getting a uniquely colored creature. Here’s what you need to know about shinies and egg breeding in Sword and Shield.
How to breed shiny Pokemon in Sword and Shield
The old fashioned method of farming shiny Pokemon involves battling the same type over and over, which gradually increases the percentage chance of encountering a shiny over time. This can be a long and arduous process, with some Sword and Shield players having already chained in the high hundreds of encounters without yet encountering a shiny for their efforts.
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The Masuda Method might save players some time, provided that they can get their heads around it. The process involves breeding two Pokemon of the same species and egg type, though they must be of opposite gender and originate from different real-world regions. Getting your hands on Pokemon from different regions will require some online trading.
If you wanted a specific shiny pokemon, the following would be the Masuda Method to follow and improve your chances.
- Acquire your choice of Pokemon in-game, for example, Yamper.
- Note: You don’t necessarily have to catch it, but this Pokemon does need to possess the “original language” tied to your game’s region.
- Trade any other Pokemon for a Yamper of the opposite gender, from a region with a different original language.
- Breed the two for an improved chance of receiving a shiny offspring.
It’s been said that breeding with a foreign language, opposite gender Ditto can also help. The exact odds of success aren’t currently known, though using the Pokemon Sword and Shield Masuda Method is undoubtedly your best bet for securing shinies right now.
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