In addition to all the medicines, vitamins, and minerals you can purchase for your Pokémon, Pokémon Sword and Shield also offer a variety of Candies that can give your Pokémon experience, boost their levels, and even change their Natures. While some of these Candies cannot be acquired until the end of the game, many can be found very early on, and I'm here to walk you through how to stock up on each of them!
Rare Candy
The first Candy to be introduced to Pokémon, Rare Candies, raise your Pokémon's level by one. While these may be tempting to use early on, I recommend saving them for your higher-level Pokémon. Each level costs more and more experience and so it's much easier to make the jump from level 10 to 11 than it is to go from level 70 to 71. Using Rare Candies on low-level Pokémon is just not getting you the same bang for your buck.
Fortunately, despite the name, Rare Candies are super easy to acquire in Pokémon Sword and Shield. Rare Candies are given as rewards for Max Raid Battles, for the Wyndon Battle Tower, and in the BP shop after clearing the game for 20 BP a piece.
On top of that, they can be found in various spots all over the Wild Area and throughout the various towns in the Galar Region just left on the ground. Easily the best way to stock up on Rare Cadies is Max Raid Battles. In addition to earning Rare Candies, you also get Exp. Candies, as well as experience and plenty of other rewards.
Exp. Candy
Introduced in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee, Exp. Candies are similar to Rare Candies in that they help you level up your Pokémon, but instead of simply adding a level, Exp. Candies give a set amount of experience. This means that you don't have to worry about using them for low-level Pokémon because they give the same amount of experience to a level 15 Pokémon as they do to a level 90 Pokémon.
The only place you can get Exp. Candies from are Max Raid Battles. Fortunately, there are always plenty of Max Raid Battles to fight, so it's very easy to stock up on these early on in the game. Exp. Candies come in five sizes, each of which gives a different amount of experience and can be found in different difficulty rating Max Raid Battles:
- XS Exp. Candy: 100 XP gained in one-star raids
- S Exp. Candy: 800 XP gained in one and two-star raids
- M Exp Candy: 3,000 XP gained in two, three, and four-star raids
- L Exp. Candy: 10,000 XP gained in three, four, and five-star raids
- XL Exp. Candy: 30,000 XP gained in five-star raids only
Dynamax Candy
Brand new to Pokémon Sword and Shield, Dynamax Candies raise a Pokémon's Dynamax level by one. A Pokémon's Dynamax level determines its HP while Dynamaxed. These can also only be gained from completing Max Raid Battles. However, you only need ten to max out a Pokémon's Dynamax Level, so even if they drop fairly infrequently compared to some of the other candies, you'll still have plenty after grinding for Rare and Exp. Candies.
Nature Mints
Another new Candy introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield is the Nature Mint. For those who've been playing Pokémon for many years, you know how vital a Pokémon's Nature can be to raising its stats. For those new to the game, it works like this. Every Pokémon has a Nature. This is a single word that sums up their personality. Some examples of Natures include Lonely, Serious, and Sassy.
A Pokémon's nature, beyond telling you a bit about their personality, impacts which of their base stats increase faster and slower. A Pokémon with a Serious Nature, for example, gets an even increase to each of its stats when it levels up, while a Pokémon with a Sassy Nature gets a bigger boost to its Special Defense at the cost of its Speed.
Up until now, a Pokémon's Nature was fixed, requiring the use of special stat-boosting items and mechanics to make up for the difference. Now, however, Nature Mints can be used to change the Nature of any Pokémon.
These Mints can be bought in the BP shop in Wyndon only after clearing the game, and they cost a whopping 50 BP a piece! With enough time and dedication, you can earn as many as you'd like, but, for most players, Nature Mints will be used sparingly on a select few Pokémon. The Mints available include:
- Lonely Mint - increases Attack and decreases Defense
- Adamant Mint - increases Attack and decreases Special Attack
- Naughty Mint - increases Attack and decreases Special Defense
- Brave Mint - increases Attack and decreases Speed
- Bold Mint - increases Defense and decreases Attack
- Impish Mint - increases Defense and decreases Special Attack
- Lax Mint - increases Defense and decreases Special Defense
- Relaxed Mint - increases Defense and decreases Speed
- Modest Mint - increases Special Attack and decreases Attack
- Mild Mint - increases Special Attack and decreases Defense
- Rash Mint - increases Special Attack and decreases Special Defense
- Quiet Mint - increases Special Attack and decreases Speed
- Calm Mint - increases Special Defense and decreases Attack
- Gentle Mint - increases Special Defense and decreases Defense
- Careful Mint - increases Special Defense and decreases Special Attack
- Sassy Mint - increases Special Defense and decreases Speed
- Timid Mint - increases Speed and decreases Attack
- Hasty Mint - increases Speed and decreases Defense
- Jolly Mint - increases Speed and decreases Special Attack
- Naive Mint - increases Speed and decreases Special Defense
- Serious Mint - all stats increase at the same rate
Questions about Pokémon Candies?
Do you have any questions about where to get Pokémon Candies or how to use them? Any tips on how to prioritize the use of your Candies? Drop us a comment below, and be sure to check out our many other Pokémon Sword and Shield guides!
