The Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass: Isle of Armor has arrived, and with it come new battles, new Pokémon, and new adventures. Soon after arriving on the Isle of Armot, you will find yourself at Master Mustard's Dojo where your skills will be tested by none other than Master Mustard himself. Do you have what it takes to triumph?
Who is Master Mustard?
A former Champion of Galar who trained Leon himself, Master Mustard isn't like most of the other Trainers you face. Like other Champions, Master Mustard has a wide variety of Pokémon of all different types. You will need to be strategic when preparing for your final fight.
First battle
When you first arrive at the Dojo, Master Mustard will test you with a battle. This first one is pretty easy, especially if you entered the Isle of Armor before becoming Champion of Galar. While most players will have beat the core game before diving into the DLC, if you haven't, Master Mustard will use significantly lower level Pokémon. For the first battle, his team consists of only two Pokémon:
- Mienfoo (lv 13 or lv 61): This Fighting type knows Fake Out, Force Palm, and U-turn.
- Shinx (lv 13 or lv 61): The Electric type knows Spark and Bite.
Even at level 61, these two should be easy to beat. Mienfoo is weak against Flying, Psychic, and Fairy type moves. Shinx is weak against Ground type moves. However, even without type advantages, it's just the two Pokémon. I was able to take them both out with my Cinderace.
Second battle
The second time you'll face Master Mustard will be at the top of either the Tower of Waters or the Tower of Darkness. You'll only be allowed to bring Kubfu with you, but there are still things you can do to prepare for this battle. Master Mustard will challenge your Kubfu with one of his own:
- Kubfu (lv 30 or lv 70): This Fighting type knows Aerial Ace, Brick Break, and Focus Energy.
The most important thing you can do to prepare for this battle is level up your Kubfu. If you've beaten the core game, you will need to be close to or above level 70. However, almost as important, you're going to want to use TMs or TRs to teach your Kubfu at least one Flying, Psychic, or Fairy type move. Because Master Mustard's Kubfu knows Aerial Ace, he can do super effective damage to your Kubfu. You're going to need to be able to do the same to win this fight.
Final battle
After evolving your Kubfu into Urshifu, you will be able to challenge Master Mustard once more. This battle is the most challenging in the game, and the levels are not lower if you haven't become Champion. All but his last Pokémon are the same, regardless, but his final Pokémon is Urshifu from the tower you did not choose. Every Pokémon he sends out hits very hard:
Mienshao (lv 73)
This Fighting type knows Fake Out, Close Combat, Blaze Kick, and U-turn. Mienshao takes double damage from Flying, Psychic, and Fairy. Bringing a Ghost type in here nullifies both Fake Out and Close Combat, and because Fake Out can cause your Pokémon to flinch, I reccomend bringing a Ghost that knows at least one Flying, Psychic, or Fairy type move.
Luxray (lv 73)
This Electric type knows Wild Charge, Psychic Fangs, Crunch, and Play Rough. Luxray takes double damage from Ground and that's its only weakness. Pretty straightforward, go with a Ground type. I went with Sandaconda, but there are plenty of Ground types to choose from.
Corviknight (lv 74)
This Flying and Steel type knows Iron Head, Brave Bird, Light Screen, and Body Press. Corviknight takes double damage from Fire and Electric. Although Corviknight hits hard, the real danger is his Light Screen. Take him out with a powerful Fire or Electric type before he has the chance to use it. I went with Cinderace, but the Charizard you got from Leon works well here too.
Lycanroc (lv 75)
This Rock type knows Stone Edge, Accelerock, Play Rough, and Stealth Rock. Lycanroc takes double damage from Fighting, Ground, Steel, Water, and Grass. There are a lot of Pokémon that can counter Lycanroc and it's only non Rock type move is the Fairy type, Play Rough. However, if he gets the chance to use Stealth Rock, that will do damage every time you switch Pokémon. It's not a ton of damage, but you'll want to avoid it if you can.
Kommo-o (lv 75)
This Dragon and Fighting type knows Clanging Scales, Flash Cannon, Aura Sphere, and Clangorous Soul. Kommo-o takes quad damage from Fairy, and double damage from Flying, Psychic, Ice, and Dragon. While it may be tempting to bring a Fairy type to fight Kommo-o, her Flash Cannon will tear Fairy types to shred. Instead, I recommend another type that can learn Fairy type moves. You'll lose out on STAB, but you won't risk your Pokémon fainting right off the bat.
Rapid Strike Urshifu (lv 75)
This Fighting and Water type knows Surging Strikes, Close Combat, Iron Head, and Poison Jab; and to make things even more challenging, Master Mustard will have his Urshifu Gigantamax. Rapid Strike Urshifu takes double damage from Flying, Grass, Electric, Psychic, and Fairy. Grass and Fairy types will take super effective damage from this Urshifu's moves, so I recommend sticking with a Flying, Psychic, or Electric type.
Single Strike Urshifu (lv 75)
This Fighting and Dark type knows Wicked Blow, Close Combat, Iron Head, and Poison Jab; and to make things even more challenging, Master Mustard will have his Urshifu Gigantamax. Single Strike Urshifu takes quad damage from Fairy, and double damage from Fighting and Flying. Once again, Fairy is really tempting, but Iron Head and Poison Jab will also tear through most Fairy types. If you're facing Single Strike Urshifu, you might be able to bring in a Gigantamax Grimmsnarl or Hatterene and hope to wipe them both out before these Steel type moves destroy them. Just make sure you have a back up, in case the RNG rules against you.
Questions?
Do you have any questions for taking on Master Mustard on the Isle of Armor? Got any tips for your fellow Trainers? Drop us a comment below, and be sure to check out our Complete Pokédex, as well as our other Pokémon Sword and Shield guides so you too can become a Pokémon Master!
