The second half of Pokémon Sword and Shield's expansion pass, The Crown Tundra, brings players to a frozen landscape where many legendary Pokémon are said to lurk. There are new characters to meet, adventures to go on and new and returning Pokémon to battle and capture. For players wanting a challenge, there are also the new Dynamax Adventures, which take place underneath the Galar region's Pokémon Dens.
During Dynamax Adventures four trainers must explore and fight their way through a Pokémon Den using rental Pokémon in a co-op game-mode. Any HP or PP lost or used is carried over to the next battle, though sometimes players can find berries and characters who will heal or swap out their Pokémon in the Den. Players can choose from a few branching paths, which indicates the type of Pokémon that will be encountered next. After each battle, the party will vote which path the take next until reaching the Legendary Pokémon.
Dynamax Adventure battles play out similarly to the Max Raid Battles from the base game. Opponents keep their Dynamaxed statue throughout the battle, while players who Dynamax their Pokémon only have the effect for three turns. Each turn, one trainer receives Dynamax energy, and if they chose to not Dynamax their Pokémon, this energy passes to the next player.
To win, the players must defeat the Dynamaxed Pokémon in ten turns and not let their own Pokémon faint more than four times. The unpredictable nature of these battles and the randomized format make these battles challenging. However, individual Dynamax Adventure battles are more straightforward than regular Max Raids, as the Pokémon won't put up shields to break through.
If the players are successful, they'll have the option to swap the Dynamaxed Pokémon onto their team, though only one team member can take the newly caught Pokémon. For there, the party will have to choose which path to take next. To reach the Legendary, players must successfully defeat three Dynamaxed Pokémon. All Pokémon, Legendaries included, have a 100 percent catch rate, so the rewards are worth the challenge. However, only one Pokémon can be taken out of the den on each run.
Most returning Legendary Pokémon can be found and caught in these Dynamax Adventures, but even though a Legendary can be encountered multiple times, each can only be caught once per game. Pokémon in these dens have an increased chance of being Shiny, so if you want to shiny hunt for a certain Legendary, be sure not to take it unless it's Shiny. Dynamax Adventures offer a fun co-op challenge with great rewards, making them a standout feature of the Crown Tundra expansion.