Finally got to the end of the game.

Final team ended up being Cursola, Appletun, Cinderace, Falinks, Corviknight, Frosmoth. Really liked Appletun more then I thought I would. Gotta try to fill the dex and do other post game stuff.

@Noqanky:

Gigantamax to me is pointless, and just a reason to make another Pikachu/eevee/charizard. To me they’re less about things I want to use and more about things I enjoy fighting and catching in raids with other people.

Also, hard to care when we know next gen will most likely ditch the giant stuff, much like it was useless to get totem Pokémon in usum, it will probably be useless to invest in gigantamax mons.

Gigantamax made my homie Kingler relevant again. At least relevant again to me. But aside from Kingler I could care less. I will try to collect them all but the only Gigantamax I want to use is Kingler.

Got my 3rd Badge. Then went for a round of raids and got a Gigantamax Corviknight. Won't use it since I prefer my HA Corvisquire (Soon to be Corviknight itself) but still nice to get a Gigantamax Pokemon.

@Foolio:

That's interesting; I hadn't heard anything about that. Most info says the number of perfect IVs is tied to number of stars. Wouldn't mind getting those HAs from you at some point if you're up for trading. Doesn't have to be soon. My main raid focus for the next while will be HA Frosmoth and Dreepy (the latter of which sounds painful), or any Dittos I see / stuff I haven't caught.

I wonder if the glowing silhouettes are basically the raid versions of brilliant mons in the wild (the ones that drop Watts and have guaranteed IVs / egg moves). If so there's a chance they become more common the more of the species you encounter.

That's what I assume the glowing silhouettes are like the brilliant wild mons I can trade one of the Sizzlepedes although its HA is just flame body so its not too spectacular. Once I find a ditto I can try to breed my Corviknight. I'm gonna be playing the main story over the weekend when I'm not working all night and day. But back early next week I'm gonna be raiding again for an hour or so a day. I kinda want HA Corsula but I'm guessing that will be very hard to acquire considering how hard normal Corsula is suppose to be to find. Somehow I got lucky and got it in a raid when I only have 1 badge.

@Foolio:

From what I've read that just means they are rare den spawns (big purple beam instead of red).

The official site updated with some interesting info about brilliant and shiny pokémon, and the effects of story progression on the Wild Area:

https://www.pokemon.com/us/strategy/gigantamax-shiny-pokemon-sword-pokemon-shield-wild-area/ I still haven't had time to catch a good Ditto of my own but I'm still interested in a good non-English/North American Ditto for Masuda. (Also HA mons.) But I guess I still have to fill the pokédex before it really matters. By then hopefully I'll have something good to trade as well. I have some of the rarer mons and some Max Raid catches but nothing remarkable.

Since I could only play like an hour a day this week I spent my entire time doing raids. I found 2 HA Sizzlepedes and 1 HA Rookiedee. From what I gathered once you click on the raid if the pokemon picture is glowing yellow it has a perfect stat and/or a higher chance for a HA. All 3 of my HA pokemon were glowing yellow but none were purple beams. Purple Beams did get me Togapei, Corsula, and a few other rare pokes though. Nothing too outstanding though.

@maxterdexter:

It is reaching, but charjabug as the band bus. Also useful in doubles with battery.

Dancers you have your pick, with hitmontop, salazle, maracactus and ludiculo as well.

Bronzong is an instrument itself.

Sirfetch kinda could pass as a violinist if you squint.

Interesting Bronzong will likely be the 5th member then. Just gotta figure out the 6th.

As for my first play through my current team is going to be Cinderace, Hidden Ability Corviknight, Cursola. Gotta figure out 3 more members. Doing raids all week before I start doing the story again has given me some options.

Also if anyone can help me figure out my team for my 2nd play through of Shield that would be a great help. I wanna make my team a metal band.

Rillaboom - Drummer
Obstagoon - Screamer
Toxtricity - Low key as Bassist, Amped up as Guitarist.

Never thought I would miss Exploud (Amp) or Jigglypuff (Singer). Any ideas how to fill my last two slots. I've been trying to figure it out. Typing doesn't matter. Just wanna complete the band.

I've got both games. Have 5 Badges in Sword. 1 Badge in Shield. Have mainly been doing raids during the week on Shield due to not having time to really pay attention to the story. Which likely doesn't matter but still. Somehow I got Galarian Corsula before the 2nd Gym through raids and its suppose to be one of the rarest pokemon in shield.

Current team about to finish 2nd Island

Torracat (Level 32)
Lycanroc (Level 30)
Araquanid (Level 29)
Oranguru (Level 21)

Just got Oranguru now I just gotta figure out my 5th and 6th pokemon also got a Ledian, Ritombee, Snorlax in the storage if I decide to use one of them (Mainly want Sandshrew but know I won't get him til near end of game sadly) but currently I like my 4 that I am choosing to use

@.access:

I got a Litten in GTS and was surprised to find out it was the original owner's actual starter, not a bred one. For some reason I am pitying the thing so much that I think I will end up using it instead of breeding a baby (the hypocrisy lies in the fact I had already boxed my Dartrix by then, set on replacing it with a Litten, pretending I never picked Rowlet as my starter).

Litten for life my friend